The Hodgepodge Romance of Ichigo Kurosaki
by Panzerraptor
Summary: Kisuke has created a new cologne and our prudish strawberry hero is the unaware guinea pig. Will Ichigo survive the strange side-effects of the the ex-captain's new product? And can he also save the world from a new threat while doing so? IchigoxHarem
1. Chapter 1: Pineapple Express

Author's Note 1: Hey everyone! It's the master writer and favored author. The engine of ingenuity. The stalwart champion himself. Your boy, Panzerraptor. I just want to say to a few of my readers thank you for sticking with me through the first Dante fic and my oneshot collection. And for those who are done with my OC's adventure, so be it. Anyway, this story has nothing to do with that series and will mainly focus around Ichigo and his dilemma with the opposite gender. However, there will be an underlying crisis, so you can be sure that this story will be full of surprises as time goes on.

I've been wanting to do a story like this ever since "Ballads of a Strawberry" and with the many reviews and acclaim, I think I'm ready and so are my fans. This will be my first harem story so fingers crossed. Also, because the plot revolves around a harem, there are many possible pairings that Ichigo can end up in. Though it is possible that the end result might feature Ichigo with more than one of the women in the story. Gives you something to look forward to, doesn't it?

Author's Note 2: Italicized font is thought. Parenthesis is used for added detail.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its related material. That honor goes to its creator, Kubo Tite.

* * *

**Ch. 1: Pineapple Express**

It was just another day at Urahara's Shoten for Renji as he drank a cup of tea at the table. Many would say that he was still mooching off the owner and his resources. However, the red-haired lieutenant disagreed upon such a view. For him, the shop was the only option of residence he had. Besides, he worked hard to keep his residency. Between helping Tessai with cleaning, managing the merchandise with Ururu and Ginta, and honing his skills in Kisuke's underground training basement below the store, he barely had any time to himself.

Even with all the work, Renji still saw it as something of a vacation from being at the 5th Division. Especially when he was under the seemingly all-knowing eye of Byakuya Kuchiki. Though he had the utmost respect for his captain, he couldn't help but think that the noble had a stick up his ass most of the time. Besides, he was given more opportunity to explore the Living World and spend time with his friends.

After he finished drinking his tea, the red-haired lieutenant stretched his back. "Ah, just what I needed," he said to himself in content. As he got up from the table with his empty cup in hand, he heard Kisuke call out to him. "Hey, Renji! Do you have a second?" he asked from a nearby room.

Renji sighed in response. He had already finished his chores for the day, and Chad, whose training he was helping with, was still at school. To him, there shouldn't be anymore work to be done. Then again, whenever there wasn't anything else to do, Tessai or Kisuke would always make more. _"So much for a longer break,"_ he mentally droned. _"Guess he wants me to stack the inventory from largest to smallest now."_ Deciding not to keep the shop owner waiting, Renji placed the cup back on the table and made his way to the lab.

Renji slid the door to the side and entered Kisuke's lab. It was a descent-sized room with many books either resting on shelves or stacked against the wall. There were a few boxes scattered about with "Old Project" or "Past Experiment" written on them and couple of liquid filled tubes in the back. Having been his first time in the lab, Renji couldn't help but think it resembled one of Squad 12's Research & Development labs (albeit smaller than the real deal. Of course, what would you expect from the previous captain of said division?).

"Ah, Renji. Just the man I wanted to see," Kisuke said with a smile as he appeared from the other side of a shelf.

"So what is it now, Urahara?" Renji asked. "I've already done everything that you guys wanted. Hell, Tessai grabbed me out of bed just to help him fix the damn plumbing. Not the way I want to start my morning."

"Okay, settle down," the ex-captain said as he waved his hand. "I promise this won't be any hassle. In fact, because I'm such a nice person, I'll give you the rest of the day off if you do me this favor."

Renji raised a brow after hearing Kisuke's proposal. "Oh yeah? What is it you want me to do?"

"It's a little experiment I'm working on…"

"Oh no!" Renji interjected. "I might be trying to earn my keep, but I cross the line when it comes to letting you play doctor with my body!"

"Man, aren't you riled up today," Kisuke replied. "Who do you think I am? Mayuri?" Renji scowled at the hat wearing shopkeeper. Between their crazy contraptions and freaky eccentricity, it was hard for him to actually tell the difference at times. Seeing his expression, the blonde-haired man sighed. "Look, it's not you I'm doing this little experiment on. Besides, it wouldn't work anyway."

"So if it isn't me, then who did you have in mind?"

A smirk grew on Kisuke's face as he heard the pineapple-headed lieutenant's question. "This little test of mine involves Ichigo, of course. And that, my dear Renji, is where you come in."

"Right…" Renji responded as he gave a questioning glance at Kisuke. Though both he and the substitute were good friends and he respected Kisuke a great deal, there was no way Ichigo was going to willingly volunteer as a guinea pig for the shopkeeper. "And how am I supposed to do that?"

"It's pretty simple." Sliding his left hand inside his right sleeve, Kisuke pulled out a small vial filled with light red liquid. "Here!" called the shopkeeper as he tossed the item at the tattooed shinigami.

"Whoa!" Quickly, Renji managed to catch the small container. It juggled between his fingers, but he managed to get a firm grasp of the object. He eyed the slender glass item and its contents carefully. It's black top had a small hole on it. "What is this?" Renji asked as he held the vial up between his thumb and index finger.

"Exactly what it looks like," Kisuke said nonchalantly. "It's my All-New Super Special Ultimate Pheromone Enhancer."

"You're kidding, right? It looks like some cheap bottle of cologne," Renji said in an unimpressed tone. "Why would you be making this stuff?"

"What? An inventor can't dabble in different types of projects every now and then?" Renji gave him a blank stare. "Alright, alright. The idea came to me when I was reading the newspaper a couple weeks back about some cologne. I forgot the name, but I know it had two names that started with C. Anyway, I figured 'why don't I start making something like that?' You know, for kicks."

"Okay…" an unsure Renji replied. "So you pretty much want me to spray this stuff on Strawberry Head? Why can't I dab a little on myself?"

"That cologne you're holding is specially made to react with Ichigo's reiatsu only," Kisuke said. "If you put that stuff on you, the effects will either be cancelled out or cause you to itch all over."

Hearing this, Renji turned the nozzle away from his face and held the vial by the sides. Last thing the redhead wanted was a never-ending scratching session. "If it's such super special cologne, what's it supposed to do?"

"The truth is… I don't really know," Kisuke answered as he scratched the back of head, chuckling sheepishly in the process.

"What!" Renji fell to the floor as he heard the scientist's response. "You mean to tell me you made this stuff and gave it a friggin' long and crazy name, but you have no clue on what it does?"

"Like I said, it just came up. Besides, isn't that the point of a testing phase? At the very least, either his skin will turn blue or nothing at all."

"Ugh…" Renji wondered whether or not he should help in Kisuke's strange scheme. The last thing he wanted was for anything terrible to happen to his good friend. Though wanting to see the strawberry-haired teen turn into a walking blueberry would be a hilarious sight. That, and he did owe Ichigo for turning his hair pink in his sleep a week earlier.

As Renji thought over the situation, Tessai appeared at the doorway. "Hey, Renji," the burly man called. A slight shiver crawled down the lieutenant's spine. "I need some more help with the pipes in the bathroom. There are a few minor clogs here and there."

"Holy…!" At that moment, Renji quickly made up his mind. "Alright, Kisuke! You got yourself a deal!" With that said, Renji quickly bolted out of the lab and ran down the hall to fulfill his mission.

A confused Tessai only watched as his assistant left his sight. He then turned to Kisuke, who had a smile on his face. "What's going on, Kisuke?" the assistant shopkeeper asked.

"Oh it's nothing," the inventor said as he waved a hand. "Renji's just helping me with a little favor in exchange for a day off. I hope you don't mind, Tessai." Tessai let out a curt grunt as he gave a nod. Deciding there was no reason in staying, the ex-Kido Corp. captain took his leave to return to the bathroom. Kisuke let out a short chuckle as he thought, _"Things are going to get pretty exciting."_

* * *

Once Renji left the shop, he headed straight for Ichigo's home. He trekked for four blocks, hoping Ichigo would still be at his house. By the time he arrived, the red-haired lieutenant grabbed a nearby ladder to climb up the side of the home and peek through the teen's doorway. However, there were no sign of him or Rukia inside. "That's strange…" he said mindfully. "Wonder where he is?" He then remembered that today was Thursday, meaning he was at the high school at this time. "Oh yeah, I nearly forgot," he said as he palmed his forehead.

Just then, Renji felt the presence of someone else nearby. It wasn't Ichigo, nor was it Rukia. He snapped around, hoping to see the identity of the unexpected guest (aside from himself). However, his twisting body caused the ladder he was on to start falling backwards. Noticing this, the lieutenant started pushing his weight against the contraption in a desperate attempt to keep from falling. True, he was in a gigai and a fall from two stories wouldn't cause any immediate harm. However, that didn't mean he wanted to walk around with a broken back, or worse, and explain to Kisuke's why his product was destroyed.

In a few moments, Renji won the war against gravity to keep from colliding to the ground. _"Whoa… too close…"_ he thought as he blew a sigh of relief. Thinking the mystery person was still behind him, Renji carefully cocked his head. However, the intruder was gone. _"I know someone was there…"_ he thought to himself. _"Wonder what that guy wanted?"_ Deciding there was no use staying around, Renji casually climbed down the appliance before leaving the scene.

* * *

An hour passed and Renji was still trying to find his friend. School had just been dismissed so it was possible that he was heading home. Though when he asked Chad where he was, the large male told him that Ichigo left in the direction of the park to fight some hollows. Once he arrived at the given location, the sounds of demon screams and battle yells echoed from nearby. "Guess I made it in time," Renji said to himself before running toward the battlefield beyond a wall of trees.

In a nearby small field, Ichigo Kurosaki was fighting against a group of medium-sized hollows. With Zangetsu in hand, the substitute shinigami combated against his skull-faced foes with relative ease. As the beasts came forward, evil-intent in mind, Ichigo met them head on and slashed with relentless strokes. "Is it just me, or are you Hollows only getting weaker every time you come here?" he called before striking down another of his enemies.

Seeing how they were at a severe disadvantage, the remaining four hollows decided to regroup. The corrupt souls turned the opposite direction and began to leave the area. However, Ichigo had other plans in mind. "Not so fast!" he said before he shunpoed to the air. With Zangetsu charged with spiritual energy, the substitute took aim at his opponents. "Getsuga Tensho!" He swung his giant cleaver forward, creating a crescent-shaped wave of energy that crashed to the ground, purifying the last of his opponents.

Once he landed on the ground, Ichigo rested his sword on his shoulder. _"Guess that takes care of them,"_ he thought.

Ichigo was ready to take his leave, wanting to catch up on some homework and television. However, he was stopped as he heard a familiar voice call him. "Hey, Ichigo!" the orange-haired teen heard. He turned around to a nearby bush and saw Renji arrive on the scene. His clothes were covered in broken twigs and leaves.

"Renji? What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked.

"I was looking for you. Chad said I might find you here."

"I see. So what is it? Something important?"

"You can say that." Renji dug into his pant pocket and pulled out the cologne. "I need you to try this stuff on," the pineapple-haired death god said bluntly.

"What? You came all the way here just so I can try some stupid cologne?" Ichigo replied.

"What's wrong with that? You're saying you're too good for cologne?"

"I'm saying I don't want any damn cologne! Why are you even carrying that stuff around in the first place."

"Um… Well you see…" Renji shifted through his thoughts as he tried thinking of a reason. It wasn't like he could tell Ichigo that it was another "brilliant" Urahara product. There would be no way the substitute would go for that. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. "I was just hired at the mall for one of those big stores."

"You mean a department store?" Ichigo clarified.

"That's right! I managed to get an opening as one of those people who work with all the colognes and perfumes. They say that in order for me to get the job, I need to advertise a product. Now do you get it?" A smile appeared on Renji's face as he mentally patted himself on the back for such a clever story. To him, he felt that there was no way Ichigo would think it was odd.

However, the strawberry-haired shinigami had more than just doubts about his story. After hearing his explanation, a sweatdrop formed on the back of his head. _"You've got to be kidding me,"_ he thought. "Two things," he began. "Isn't that job usually given to women?"

"Uh… Well, you'd think that," Renji quickly responded. "But apparently, that store also had openings for men. And I just happened to be the guy cut out for the job."

A confused glance appeared on Ichigo's face. Before he could object, the deputy faced the lieutenant and scanned his clothing. Between the baggy jeans, the yellow Chappy the Bunny shirt, and the purple bandanna, he looked like someone who was still in the late 70's. A sigh could only escape Ichigo's lips as he shook his head and said, "I can only imagine why. Anyway, if you're working at one of the stores, then how come you're miles away here at the community park?"

"Well come on. It wasn't like they said I had to give samples only at the store."

Ichigo thought over the statement. It was true that the person behind the samples aren't always stationed in one place. There were a few who would spray customers within or outside the mall. "You got a point," the strawberry-haired teen mused.

"Anyway, come on! Help me out here!" Renji pleaded. "Either I do this, or I'm forced to clean the restroom! And trust me, you do not want to know what that's like!"

"What the-!" Ichigo cringed at the abrupt statement. He didn't know what to make of Renji's job. Whether or not it was the truth, the point was that the redhead was dead-set on spraying him with that stuff. Usually, Ichigo wouldn't worry himself over such cheap items like that, but he was starting to feel sorry for his friend. _"Well, no one should be scrubbing toilets,"_ he thought. "Alright, alright. I'll do it," the orange-haired shinigami said. "Give me that bottle." Snatching the vial from Renji, Ichigo sprayed some of the liquid on the side of his neck and some under his armpit. He tried to take a whiff, but found there wasn't any scent. _"At least there's no terrible stench."_

"Thanks, Ichigo!" Renji praised. "I owe you for this!" Deciding his job was done, the red-haired lieutenant started to leave the scene.

"Hey, hold on! Don't you need this back?" Ichigo asked.

"Keep it. I, uh… got plenty more samples where those came from. Think of it as a little present."

"Gee, thanks," Ichigo muttered sarcastically as his fellow shinigami continued to leave. He then glanced at the vial again. "Talk about cheap. It doesn't even have a smell." Shrugging his shoulders, Ichigo leaped into the air and started making his way back home, unaware of the craziness that will follow.


	2. Chapter 2: Shadow on the Wall

Author's Note 1: Hey everyone. Sorry for the long wait. I gotta say, I'm rather surprised by the reception this story has received. I never thought it would grab so much attention in such a short time. Seriously, thanks for the love. Anyway, here's the second chapter which will kick things off.

* * *

**Ch. 2: Shadow on the Wall**

It was late in the evening and Ichigo had finished his nightly patrol. He noticed there weren't as many hollows near his home district of Minamikawasa like there used to be. Instead, he traveled to the demolished ruins of Matsukura Hospital in the Tsubakidai area for his hollow hunting. By the time he returned, a small sigh escaped the substitute shinigami's lips. _"That was pretty fast,"_ he thought before he returned to his pajama-wearing body that was laying on the bed. The teen closed his window and glanced at the clock on his desk which read 11:38 P.M. Ichigo's eyebrows rose in subtle surprise and content. _"Huh. Usually I get back home at around twelve or one in the morning. Looks like I have more time for sleep."_ Seeing his chance to catch up on some much needed rest, Ichigo pulled the covers over his body and went to sleep.

About an hour passed since Ichigo drifted to dreamland. The only sound in his room was of his light snoring. Shadows from the window frame and outside objects loomed over his sleeping floor due to the bright moonlight. However, the teen had no idea that he was being spied upon by a pair of emerald eyes beyond his window.

Sitting on a neighboring roof with a pencil and notepad in hand was Nemu Kurotsuchi. The lieutenant of Squad 12 watched the sleeping Ichigo analytically, keeping her reiatsu cloaked so as to not alert her target. The only thing giving her away was her long braid gently swaying in the breeze. The young woman was jotting notes in her book, chronicling any changes to his sleeping pattern. After she wrote the information down, the purple-haired lieutenant slid her pencil through the wired spine and skimmed over her notes.

Though the pad was small, it contained a week's worth of content revolving around the teenage shinigami's schedule. She also made sure to keep track of the everyday occurrences happening around town with a few of the residents. Among them was Renji's appearance at Ichigo's house in the past afternoon. She didn't know why the Squad 6 lieutenant was at the teen's home, but was glad his loss of balance allowed her to make a quick escape before her identity was revealed.

Nemu closed her pad once she finished reading. As the young woman stood up to leave the scene, she froze in place as a strange odor caught her attention. _"That smell…"_ she thought as she took a whiff. Normally, she would ignore it and continue on her way. However, there was something about it that attracted her like a moth to a flame. _"It's obviously chemical in nature…"_ She took another sniff in the air to make a more detailed observation. _"Yet there's something unique about… It smells like a freshly synthesized project… but with a biological component from plant matter… strawberry, perhaps?"_ Perplexed by the strange mix within the odor, Nemu looked in all directions for its source. Then it hit her as she turned around to Ichigo's window. _"Could it be possible that the aroma's origin came from within the subject's residence?"_

Drawn by curiosity and the mysterious smell, Nemu leaped over the gap between the two houses and sat on the ledge of Ichigo's window. The lieutenant managed to undo the lock of the window and slowly slide it to the side. She glanced at Ichigo's face, which still wore a modest scowl as he slept. _"How odd, yet… adorable, I believe the term is,"_ she mused. Catching her odd musing, Nemu shook her head at the uncharacteristic sentimental thought. _"My reason for being here is for investigative purposes."_ She crawled onto the bed and leaned toward the strawberry-haired teen as carefully as possible. With each passing second, her heart rate raced and thumped harder and harder. At the same time, her cheeks became beat red and hot. _"Why is my body having this reaction whenever I am so close to him?"_

A part of her wanted to stop and leave, but instinct and the smell overrode her logic. Aside from the scent, the lieutenant was also focused on Ichigo's reiatsu. Even asleep, he was still exuding a good amount of his strong spiritual energy. "Master Kurosaki…" she muttered as she reached for the teen's cheek. She hesitated just as her hand was inches from his face. However, that reaction lasted only a few short seconds before she gently placed her palm onto his cheek. His face was warm and surprisingly smooth. As she continued, Ichigo's frown began to unfurl. A small smile grew on Nemu's face. "You are an odd specimen, Ichigo Kurosaki," she said in a low tone.

She pulled her hand away from Ichigo's face and did something that she never thought she would do. Nemu crawled into the bed with Ichigo and nestled against his body. _"I'll stay here for a short duration,"_ she reasoned to herself. _"The temperature outside is 40 degrees. I shall take this time to use Ichigo's body heat to warm myself up before I leave."_ Suddenly, Ichigo's body started to stir. At first, Nemu thought that the young male was about to wake up due to the physical contact. However, the substitute shinigami only rolled onto his side, his back now facing the purple-haired woman. A sigh escaped the lieutenant's lips, but she continued to smile and returned to pressing her ample form against him. _"Only for a short time…"_ she told herself before slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

The alarm clock blared its wake-up call at 7:00 A.M. Hearing the shrill noise, Ichigo groggily woke up. "Morning already?" he muttered. "And I was in the middle of a good dream, too." The strawberry-haired teen sat up and reached for the device on his desk. After a few missed swipes, the young male finally hit the off button on the clock. He stretched his back and arms, yawning in the process. "Annoying piece of junk. At least it's better than that crazy old psycho kicking me early in the friggin' morning."

As Ichigo let his arms fall, he felt something large and soft on the right side of his bed. _"Hm? What's this?"_ he thought as he stared at the sheet-covered figure. At first, he believed it was just a bunch of pillows that were buried under his covers. However, Ichigo still felt that something was a miss. Wanting to put his fears to rest, Ichigo pulled the covers down, but was unprepared for what he would find.

Peacefully lying fast asleep was Nemu. Her pale complexion glimmered in the sun's morning light and her long braid laid curled behind her. Ichigo sat quietly for a moment as he began to process the information in his head. _"This is still a dream…"_ he mentally told himself as he pinched his arm. After all, it hadn't even been five minutes, and his day already started on a terribly sour (or awesomely sweet, depending on the individual) note. _"I'm still sleeping and found myself inside a nightmare…"_

The morning light hit Nemu's face, causing her to stir. Her eyes fluttered opened and she saw Ichigo sitting next to her. She rose from the bed and sat with her legs folded under her body, hands resting on her thighs, and a calm smile adorning her face. "Good morning, Master Kurosaki," she greeted in a soft voice and a respectful nod.

Realizing that he was fully conscious and aware of his situation, Ichigo's face started to redden like a ripe tomato. Here he was with an attractive and seemingly innocent young female stranger sitting on his bed. Last thing Ichigo remembered was that he slept alone last night. While most men would see this as a dreamy opportunity, Ichigo saw it differently. Which is why, for him, the following reaction was completely understandable. "Aaaaaaaaagggggghhhh!" The strawberry-haired teen's terrified yell was enough to instantly wake up everyone in the house (and few other people on the block).

Though she was deafeningly close to Ichigo's fearful scream, Nemu seemed rather unfazed by the outburst. If anything, she seemed merely bewildered as she cocked her head to the side. _"What an odd morning ritual the subject partakes in,"_ the lieutenant thought.

"Ichigo! Is something wrong?" Yuzu's voice called from the other side of the door.

"Damn it!" Ichigo hissed. Though the substitute knew that he screamed, he didn't realize just how loud his yell was. The teen pushed himself off the bed and grabbed Nemu's wrist. Before the lieutenant could respond, she found herself in the closet on the other side of the room.

"Hey, Ichigo! What's going on in there?" This time it was Karin.

With the closet door closed shut, Ichigo opened his room door and saw his younger twin sisters at the doorway. Yuzu's face was filled with concern while Karin seemed more annoyed. "Oh, sorry about that," Ichigo said hastily as he rested against the wall. He tried putting up a reassuring smile, but between his quivering lips and rivers of sweat, the teen's expression would hardly fool anyone.

"Are you alright, Big Brother?" a concerned Yuzu asked with clasped hands.

"Of course I am," Ichigo quickly responded. "I'm just peachy. Nothing wrong here."

"_That's a matter of opinion,"_ Karin thought. Unlike her blonde-haired sister, she saw through her brother's façade. She knew there was something else going on. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know what that was. "If you're so fine, then what was with the sudden scream?" she asked.

"Oh that? Um… Just a bad dream, that's all. Yeah, a little nightmare. That was it." Ichigo chuckled sheepishly, trying his best to keep up the act.

"A nightmare?" Yuzu asked. "It must have been pretty scary. At least you're awake now, so it can't trouble you."

"_If only it were that simple,"_ Ichigo thought as he glanced at his closet. He then turned back to his sisters. "Well, as you can see, I'm fine now. No need to worry. Now if you excuse me, I better get ready for school."

"Okay, Ichigo. See you down stairs." As Ichigo closed the door, Yuzu turned to her twin. "Do you think he's really alright?" she asked.

"Honestly," Karin began in a nonchalant tone, "I've been wondering that for many years. To be honest, it might have been that horror movie he was watching last night. Anyway, I'm sure Ichigo could handle whatever it is that has him so riled up." With that said, Karin walked to the stairway with Yuzu close behind her.

Inside the room, Ichigo pushed his closet door open and found Nemu sitting in a formal position like she was earlier. He breathed heavily as his eyes seemed to be screaming whatever he wanted to say. Nemu, as before, was merely confused. "Is there an issue, Master Kurosaki?" she asked. "You seem to be rather miffed by something."

"First of all, the word 'miffed' is an understatement. Second, stop calling me 'Master Kurosaki'. Third, and most importantly, who are you and what the hell were you doing in my bed!" Ichigo hollered.

"Hmm…" Nemu began to contemplate on the situation at hand. The lieutenant knew that her mission was compromised now that her target realized of her existence. However, the question the blonde posed was as confusing to Nemu as it was to Ichigo. All she knew was that she was entranced by something, as if under hypnosis. Everything that happened last night felt like a fuzzy dream.

"Hello! Earth to whoever you are! Answer the question!" an impatient Ichigo called, trying to snap the purple-haired woman out of her thoughts.

Nemu returned to reality. She quickly realized that it was possible for her to still salvage her assignment. _"Perhaps it would be wise if I gave a variant reiteration of my purpose."_ In short, she was going to tell a close lie. Though it was something she rarely ever did due to the guilt she felt when using the deceitful action, Nemu knew that it was her only alternative. _"Please forgive me, Master Kurosaki,"_ she sighed. "I am Nemu Kurotsuchi, lieutenant of Squad 12 and vice president of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. It is an honor to meet you." The young woman replied with a respectful bow to the substitute shinigami.

"Squad 12, huh?" Ichigo murmured as he tried recalling that branch. Then he remembered where he heard the name: it was the division which Yoruichi said Kisuke was in control of before fleeing to Karakura Town. It was also the squad belonging to the crazed captain Uryu took down during the invasion. "So why would they send a lieutenant here?"

"I would believe it's the same reason Lieutenant Abarai is stationed here," the young woman responded. "I was told by my captain to study the… hollows within this jurisdiction." she quickly lied.

"The hollows? Aside from those arrancars that showed up, there hasn't been anything happening with those boneheads. Besides, I thought Renji was here just to goof off."

"You see, there have been reports that the numbers have been fluctuating drastically soon after ex-captain Sosuke Aizen's betrayal. Ever since the Squad 5 traitor and his comrades escaped, the hollow population has been in a constant state of flux. It is possible that the ever-changing numbers maybe connected to Aizen's presence in Hueco Mundo."

Ichigo folded his arms across his chest. It did make sense considering the strange happenings around town. Between the sudden assault by the arrancar to the unpredictable appearances and disappearances of hollows, it was clear that Aizen was starting to make his move soon. Though what that move was, he didn't know. _"What the hell is that bastard planning?"_ Ichigo pondered with an intense scowl.

"What is wrong, Master Kurosaki?" Nemu asked.

"Didn't I say to stop calling me that? Anyway, I can see how Aizen might be behind it. But that still doesn't explain why you were sleeping in my bed."

"Oh, well the reason for my unexpected presence was because… I wanted to report these findings to you," Nemu quickly responded. "However, between my travels through the Senkaimon and the elimination of a few low-level hollows, I have exhausted myself. Father would be most displeased upon hearing of my performance." While it was true that she fought a number of hollows (which happened to be in Ichigo's home district), she knew that it wasn't exhaustion that caused her to act the way she did. Even now, she could still smell the fragrance upon the teen and was doing her best to restrain herself. "I ask that you accept my apology for any inconvenience that I may have caused."

Ichigo had a feeling that the female fighter was holding something back. However, he also felt it was way too early to start prying into an ally's business. Besides, he needed to get ready for school. He also wanted to get Nemu out of his home before anyone had the chance to enter his room (namely his father). "Alright, alright. Apology excepted," he said. "Just don't do it again, alright?"

"Affirmative, Master Kurosaki," Nemu nodded earning a groan from Ichigo in response to his new title.

As Ichigo was ready to turn around, he found himself in Nemu's tight embrace. "What the-!" For such a slender woman, he was surprised by the strength of her hold. Ichigo face started to grow beat red from a combination of the sudden hug, the lieutenant's ample bust pushing against his chest, and the loss of air. "C-Could you let me go now!" he replied as he struggled to get free. "I'd… like to breathe… right now…"

Realizing what she was doing, Nemu quickly released her hold of the strawberry-blonde teen. A blush crept on her cheeks from her sudden action. "I apologize again…" she said. "Forgive me." With that said, the Squad 12 lieutenant quickly ran to the other side of the room and leapt out of the window sill.

Ichigo rushed after her and watched as Nemu bounced from rooftop to rooftop until she was out sight. The teen pulled his head back and rubbed the back of his sore neck. _"Oh man,"_ he thought. _"And I thought I knew enough crazy people as is."_ A relieving sigh escaped his lips. _"Whatever. I need to get out of here."

* * *

_

A half an hour passed since his guest left his home and Ichigo had finished getting himself ready. After he fixed his hair (or at least, in a style he's accustomed to), sprayed on the "scentless" cologne (just for the hell of it) and put on his school uniform (consisting of a while shirt and gray slacks), the teen walked down the stairs with a lackadaisical stride. When he arrived at the bottom floor and was about to grab a seat at the table, he heard someone yell "Good morning, Ichigo!" It was none other than his father Isshin, who was in the air about to pounce on his son.

Knowing exactly who the instigator was, Ichigo quickly reacted with a spin kick. The bottom of his shoe impacted hard with his father's face. "What the hell is your problem!" Ichigo yelled as he shoved the older man away, generating enough force to toss his father at the wall behind him.

"Well, well. Not bad for a guy who screamed like a wussy this morning," Isshin said before racing toward his son once more. "What's the matter? Was the dream so bad that you pissed your pants, son! Or did you turn around and get spooked by your shadow?"

"Shut the hell up, you nasty old man!" Ichigo hollered as his fist connected with his parent's gut.

"Oh… not bad… For a baby!" Isshin quickly retaliated by grabbing Ichigo's arm and twisting it behind his back. The teen yelled in anger and pain before countering the hold spinning around and stomping wildly at the older Kurosaki male.

As this was going on, Karin ignored the familial violence while Yuzu looked on in concern. "Dad, Ichigo! Please stop attacking each other!" she replied.

"Forget those two morons," Karin said. "This is there version of hugging it out. Besides, this fight will be over in 3… 2… 1…"

Just then, a loud crash broke out and Yuzu quickly turned to the two males. Ichigo breathed heavily as he stood over Isshin's battered and bruised body. "Why the hell do you keep beating on your son every damn morning!" he shouted. "You crazy old fool!"

"It seems my son… has finally surpassed his father…" Isshin replied. "I have nothing more to teach you…"

"You say that every time, but then you try beating me up five hours later," Ichigo noted. With the quarrel ended, he left his defeated father and went to the table, joining his younger sisters for breakfast. Once he finished eating his breakfast, Ichigo placed his empty plate in his sink. He went to the doorway to grab his backpack and put on his shoes before saying his good-bye and leaving the house for school.

* * *

After about an hour of riding public transportation and hiking a few blocks, Ichigo arrived at Karakura High School. The strawberry-haired teen made his way into the building and climbed up the next floor. When he arrived at his classroom's door, the teen slid it open and entered inside. As soon as he came in, the teen saw his friend Keigo flying after him. "What's up, ICHIGOOOOOO!" he greeted with his loud, annoying voice. The strawberry blond easily stopped him with an outstretched fist which collided with the absent-minded brunette's face.

"Hey," the substitute shinigami greeted as he continued to his desk. Meanwhile, Keigo was lying on the group wounded, but still smiling. Watching over his beaten friend was Mizuiro, who wondered why the brunette acted the way he did.

Congregating near his seat by the window were three more of his friends: Chad, Uryu, and Orihime. The trio noticed their comrade advancing toward them and made room for him to get in his seat. "Hello, Ichigo!" Orihime waved with a warm smile.

"Hey guys," Ichigo responded as he sat in his seat. "So what's going on?"

"Nothing really?" Uryu replied. "Just talking about yesterday's homework. Did you get it finished?"

"Yeah, I got it all right here," Ichigo said as he pulled his papers out of his backpack. "For once, I had enough time to do it all in one go last night instead of trying to speed through it in the morning."

"Ichigo," Chad began. "Renji came by when school was over yesterday. He said he was looking for you."

"Renji was here?" Orihime asked. "I didn't know that."

"It happened after you left. I wonder what it was about?"

"Oh, Renji? Yeah, he caught up with me at the park," Ichigo responded. "Get this: the guy's now working at the mall as a perfume seller."

"Renji as a perfume seller?" Uryu said in disbelief, trying his best to hold back a smile. "You can't be serious."

"Wow! Lucky guy!" Orihime replied as she clasped her hands. "I wish I could do something like that. Hey, you think he'll give us free bottles?"

Ichigo only smirked. With the bottle he received yesterday, the teen was sure that would be the case. However, he was also sure that if they were anything like the cologne he received, they would be nothing but cheap duds. The only reason he wore it was because it quickly masked odors without a smell he could detect (making it a good body spray replacement when he didn't have the time to take a shower).

"Hey, Orihime!" Tatsuki called as she made her way to the group.

"Oh hey, Tatsuki!" Orihime exclaimed. "So did you understand the language assignment?"

"I did. Thanks for the help last night, Hime. What about you guys?"

"It was rather simple, really," Uryu replied as he pushed his glasses against his face. "And I'm sure Chad had no problems whatsoever." The large teen responded with a small nod. "Though I'm sure Ichigo had more than his fair share of issues."

A tick mark appeared on the strawberry-haired teen's forehead. "Watch it, four-eyes," he warned. "And for your information, I understood it completely."

"Well reading was never your strong suit, Ichigo," Tatsuki responded with a shrug.

"Whatever. The point is I did the work alright? Geez."

"Sure you did." Tatsuki smiled as she teased the teen. True Ichigo was as smart as he was tough. However, the young man was far from a genius (Uryu took that title with stride). Suddenly, a lingering, yet barely noticeable smell caught the raven-haired karate fighter's attention. It was weak, but she knew that there was something there. _"What is that?"_ she thought.

Orihime noticed her friend glancing around the room, as if trying to find something. "Is something wrong?" the blonde asked her.

"It's not that. It's just… Do you smell something?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Wondering what Tatsuki was talking about, Orihime began to inhale. However, the young woman smelled nothing out of the ordinary. She turned back to Tatsuki and shook her head.

"I guess it's my imagination," she replied.

"Alright students!" a female voice called. The group of five turned their attention to the entrance and saw their teacher, Misato Ochi, walking to the front desk. "Everyone place their papers on my desk and get to your seats! We have a lot of stuff to do today!"

"Aw man!" Keigo whined from hearing the news. "Can't we just cut the work and leave early!"

"Shut it, Asano!" the teacher demanded.

After handing in his homework with the rest of the class, Ichigo sat in his desk with a book on the table's surface. As usual, the class was rather dull (though some of Keigo's interruptions and Chizuru's failed advances on Orihime did liven it up a bit). Most of the time, he muted the lecture out and gazed out the window. The substitute shinigami was wishing there was a hollow nearby just so he had a reason to leave. There was also another thought on the teen's mind, his unexpected guest Nemu. _"God, I hope that doesn't happen again,"_ Ichigo thought as he rubbed his forehead._ "If that clock didn't go off, then my father would've came in and found her instead. That would've been hell. Though... she was pretty attractive... Wait, what the hell am I thinking! God, I hope I'm not becoming a pervert like my dad."_

Unbeknownst to Ichigo, he was being watched a few desks away by Tatsuki. The black-haired teen glanced at Ichigo out of the corner of her eye and wondered what the teen was mulling over (besides the obvious boredom). She also noticed the smell again and that it was coming from his direction. However, it was temporary and would suddenly cease. _"Is Ichigo doing this?"_ she asked herself.

* * *

A couple of hours passed and lunchtime had started. As usual, Ichigo went to the roof of the building and ate his lunch. Joining him was Chad, Uryu, Keigo, and Mizuiro. As usual, Keigo and Mizuiro were having their annoying dialogue while Chad and Uryu paid no attention to the pair's antics.

Meanwhile, under the shade behind the school, Orihime was busy eating her lunch with a few other female students (Tatsuki being among them). As she ate her custom-made delicacy (a ham and cheese sandwhich with sweet-and-sour sauce, ginger and red bean paste), the busty blonde noticed something sitting on a branch above. At first she thought it was a student trying to spy on the girls. However, it turned out to be a young woman wearing shinigami garb. It was none other than Nemu engaging in her research. The purple-haired woman gazed at the roof, literally watching Ichigo's back.

Orihime examined her carefully. Even though she lowered her spiritual pressure, the blonde teen still knew that she was quite strong. However, Orihime also noticed something else about the lieutenant. She didn't know why, but the way the shinigami was looking at Ichigo didn't sit right with the her. To her, there seemed to be a hint of either lust or longing. _"Who is she? And… why is she watching Ichigo like that?"_ Orihime wondered.

Back on the roof, Ichigo was halfway finished with his lunch when he heard his Seal of Approval blaring. The teen dug into his pocket and pulled his badge out. The only ones who heard the sound was Uryu and Chad. "A hollow's nearby, huh?" Chad asked. "Do you need any help, Ichigo?"

"It's alright," Ichigo responded. "I'll take care of it."

"Just try not getting yourself killed," Uryu replied.

"Tch. Yeah, yeah." Pressing the badge against his chest, Ichigo's soul was ejected from his body. With his hand on the bandaged hilt of Zangetsu, the teen jumped on top of the gate and flew from the scene.

On the ground below, Orihime noticed Ichigo's sudden spiritual pressure. She looked up at the sky and watched as Ichigo soared from the school. Seeing the substitute shinigami, Nemu waited a few seconds before following suit with a shunpo. Now Orihime's face was painted with concern. It wasn't for the threat posed by the hollows or the shinigami, but the fact she might pose an obstacle to any possible relationship between herself and Ichigo.


	3. Chapter 3: The Protector

**Ch. 3: The Protector**

Ichigo raced to the nearby district of Yumisawa as quickly as he could. Using the reishi in the air, the teen sprinted through the skies at high speed. A small smirk appeared on his face as he thought, _"Finally! It's about time something showed up. Too bad I wasn't finished with my lunch. Uryu better not get any ideas."_

A few yards behind him, Nemu was following the teenage shinigami. In order to keep a low profile, the young woman stayed closer to the ground and hid her reiatsu . Even with her attention on her target, the lieutenant leaped on light posts, telephone poles, and rooftops with stunning ease and grace. "Subject Kurosaki is en route to the location of the hollow disturbance," she wrote in her book. "It would appear that he has excelled in the basic application of hoho."

After the five minute dash, Ichigo had arrived at the Yumisawa Children's Park. The teen surveyed his surroundings for any hollows, but the place seemed deserted. Nemu was perched on a nearby rooftop. She watched over the strawberry-haired warrior's position, but even she was unable to detect any enemies. _"How odd,"_ the lieutenant thought before pulling out her Soul Phone. She pressed a few commands on her device and read the records of recent hollow appearances. _"This was where the signal originated. Was it a faux reading? Or have the enemies already fled?"_

Suddenly, a small whimper caught Ichigo's attention. The teen turned to the jungle gym and saw a child soul running to the makeshift cage. It was a young boy seemingly 6 years of age. He had black hair, a red shirt with a bear on its back, yellow and blue pants, and a chain of fate dangling from his chest. Tears streamed from his cheeks as he sat with his arms wrapped around his legs. Just looking at him, it was clear to Ichigo that the child was petrified with fear. Wanting to help the boy, Ichigo walked over to the child. "Hey," he called as he knelt down to the soul's level and rested his arms on the equipment's bars. "Is something wrong?" The little boy didn't respond to the question, causing Ichigo to sigh. "What's your name, little guy?"

"I'm Arata…"

"Arata, huh? That's a nice name. I'm Ichigo."

"Ichigo?" Arata repeated between breaths. "That's a… weird name? Isn't that usually for girls?"

Ichigo held back a warning glare. Since the boy was young and he knew that children his age said the darnest things, the orange-haired teen decided to let it slide. "So Arata. What's wrong? Are you sad because you died? I know it's scary, but-"

"It's not that," Arata interrupted. "It's because… those scary monsters…" the kid said between his chokes. "They… ate my mommy and daddy…"

Ichigo's eyes widened in shock from the kid's announcement. He knew how it felt to watch a parent's soul get taken. When he was a child, he witnessed the death of his mother by the renegade hollow known as Grand Fisher. However, seeing both parents get murdered in front of your eyes meant you pretty much lost everything. "I'm… sorry to hear that," the substitute shinigami said regretfully.

"I wish… I wish I could've done something… But I… I…" The child broke down and began crying once more.

"_Damn it! I should've gotten the call earlier! Was that bastard Grand Fisher behind this?"_ Feeling anger, dread, and guilt, Ichigo's grip tightened around the bars. Due to his strength he was unknowingly bending and squeezing the metal. The teen then turned to Arata and saw the young boy freeze in horror. After all, the strawberry-haired teen was breaking into the child's makeshift safe house. "Sorry about that," Ichigo apologized. "And I'm sorry to hear what happened. My mom was also killed by those things." The teen stood up with Arata watching his every move. "I promise I'll make those hollows pay for what they've done."

Suddenly, small rifts began to open around the males' location. Ichigo stood his ground and eyed them warily, his large zanpakuto held in front of his body in preparation for the unwanted visitors. Arata shivered in fright, remembering that his parents' killers came from similar rifts. On the roof, Nemu's eyes widened as she watched the portals expand. "An ambush," the lieutenant noted. "Such level of strategy is unheard of for instinct-driven hollows."

Blood-curdling roars began to echo through the park as numerous hollows emerged from the portals. Pushing themselves out of the distortions, the beasts surrounded Ichigo and Arata. Strings of saliva hung from their skull-like heads, awaiting for their prey to make a move like hungry wolves. "Arata," Ichigo began. "I want you to stay in there. Don't leave that jungle gym until I say so."

"But Ichigo…" the child whimpered. "But… But what about you?"

"Don't worry. I'll take these monsters down."

"O-Okay." Taking minor steps back to the center of the barred equipment, Arata watched as his protector stood his ground. It wasn't long until one of the hollows gave a loud roar before lunging toward Ichigo with claws bared and jaws wide open. Once the foe was in range, Ichigo sliced the hollow in half with a single effortless stroke.

On cue, the other hollows began to converge on the two young souls. As the swarm closed in, Ichigo transferred spiritual pressure into Zangetsu. With a strong swing, the teen unleashed his signature attack and shouted, "Getsuga Tensho!" The wave of energy ripped across the ground and tore through the many demons unfortunate enough to be in its path. One of the hollows tried to catch the substitute shinigami from behind with a set of sharp claws. However, Ichigo's quick reaction allowed him to block the attack and kill the foe before deflecting another strike from a second hollow and tossing it back.

As all of this was happening, Arata was watching the battle in disbelief. He had never seen someone so strong and brave fight against demons. Especially with such incredible ease despite the overwhelming odds. It was so surreal, as if he were watching an action movie on television. Yet he knew this was actually happening and this person was fighting to keep him safe. _"Wow!"_ he thought. _"It's like he's some kind of superhero!"_ His thought were broken as a large arm shot into the frame behind him, narrowly missing Arata's face. Now he was face-to-face with a hollow who was clawing at him, trying to do all it could to devour the little boy.

However, Arata's fear was quickly quelled as Ichigo's sword sliced through the fiend's limb, causing it to fall on the ground and quickly disintegrate. The hollow stepped back, shrieking in pain as it held up its amputated limb. Seeing his opportunity, Ichigo finished the enemy off with a slash to its mask. "Are you alright, Arata?" he asked as he glanced at the child.

"I-I'm alright," Arata responded. However, the boy's face quickly showed dread as a large-sized hollow towered over the duo. "Ichigo! Look out!" the boy alerted in fear. All Ichigo could do was turn his head as the creature's giant hand plummeted toward him. Before the hit connected, the fiend's strike was blocked as Nemu suddenly appeared between the substitute shinigami and the assaulting hollow.

"It would appear my arrival was quite fortuitous," the purple-haired lieutenant said as she turned to the young man.

"Nemu!" the stunned substitute exclaimed.

"I would advise that we focus on the hollows at hand." She turned her attention back to the large hollow who was still pushing down against her. With an impressive show of strength, Nemu shoved the enemy away, causing it to stagger back. The young woman then jumped in the air and spun kicked the creature in its face. The hollow fell backward and its body vanished as soon as it collided with the ground.

"_Whoa…"_ was the only thought that ran through Ichigo's head after watching Nemu's display._ "I didn't think she was that strong."_

When Nemu landed back on the ground, she turned to Ichigo and noticed his speechless expression. "Have you sustained any damage, Master Kurosaki?" the lieutenant asked in concern.

"N-No. I'm alright," Ichigo quickly replied as he returned to reality. He then turned his focus to the remaining hollows that were still surrounding them. Even though nearly half of their strength was gone, the altered beasts had no plans for retreating. "So, do you mind helping me take out the rest of these guys?" the substitute asked as he settled into an offensive stance.

Nemu jumped to Ichigo's position and stood back to back with the strawberry-haired teen. With her hands held up and her legs planted firmly on the ground, the young woman was ready for combat. "It would be my pleasure, Master Kurosaki." Both shinigami charged in opposite directions to take care of the hollow horde. As Ichigo fought his foes with strong swings from Zangetsu, Nemu relied on her Hakuda expertise to fight the beasts. For Nemu, it didn't matter how many hollows there were, none could match her strength, let alone their combined power.

A short time passed and both shinigami stood victorious over their eliminated foes. Even so, their heavy breathing showed how tired the two were from the marathon of fighting. Seeing the park was secured, Ichigo walked to the jungle gym to join up with Nemu and Arata. "Are you two alright?" Ichigo asked.

"No injuries have been inflicted upon us," Nemu said as she helped Arata out of the barred structure. When the lieutenant turned to Ichigo, she saw a small scratch on the teen's cheek. "You're injured, Master Kurosaki," she responded.

"Could you please stop calling me that?" Ichigo insisted. "And what are you talking about? I feel just fine."

"I think she's talking about that cut," Arata pointed out.

"Really?" Ichigo touched his cheek and felt the scratch. "Ah, it's not that big of a deal. I'll just grab a band-aid when I get back."

Nemu shook her head. "I will not risk you facing an infection," she said as she walked up to the strawberry-haired teen.

Ichigo was uncertain what was going on as the purple-haired woman placed a gentle hand over his cheek. "What the-? What're you doing?" Ichigo was flabbergasted by how close Nemu's face was to his. Still, even as he fussed, he couldn't help but realize how beautiful her eyes and skin was up close. Nemu, on the other hand, was too busy concentrating to hear the substitute shinigami's complaints. Her hand glowed as she cast a healing kido spell on the wound. In a few seconds, the teen's nick was closed and whatever blood that spilled out of the facial crack was gone.

Nemu removed her hand and took a half step back. "I've healed your wound. I hope the spell didn't cause you any discomfort."

"No, it's fine… Um… Thanks," Ichigo said as he averted his gaze to hide his reddened cheeks.

Nemu turned away from the teen in order to hide her growing blush. "It was no problem, Master Kurosaki," she said.

Ichigo turned his attention to Arata, who seemed confused between the two's strange behavior. "Alright, Arata," the teen began as he knelt down. "It's time that I send you to the Soul Society."

"The Soul Society?" the child repeated. "What's that?"

"It's a place where souls go after they die. Think of it like Heaven. You'll be safe there. Way more than you would be staying here."

"Oh… Right…" Arata said as he gazed at the ground.

Ichigo sighed, knowing that the boy was still depressed over his experience. "I know what's you're thinking about. You're missing your mom and dad, aren't you?" The little boy gave a light nod. Seeing his fear and uncertainty, the substitute shinigami placed a hand on the boy's head and ruffled his hair. "Listen. I promise you that you'll see your parents again soon."

"But those monsters…"

"Were any of them the ones that attacked your mom and dad?" Arata froze in shock by the question asked. He remembered the hollows that attacked his parents. He then thought back to the swarm that attacked him again. Even though the battle was loud and fast-paced, the young boy remembered seeing the demons being slain before Nemu arrived on the scene. Arata responded with another nod.

"As a shinigami, Ichigo has the power to purify hollows with the use of his zanpakuto. Once cleansed, its soul and the souls that were devoured are sent to the Soul Society as normal pluses."

"I didn't get it, but does that mean…"

"That's right," Ichigo said. "Your parents might be waiting for you as we speak."

Hearing the news, a smile formed around Arata's face. "I can meet my parents again! Awesome!" he replied ecstatically.

"That's right. So are you ready to go?"

Arata shook his head. "Thanks for everything, Ichigo!" the little boy replied. "I'll never forget you!"

"_If only that were the case,"_ Ichigo solemnly thought. "Alright then. Get ready." Reversing the grip of Zangetsu, Ichigo tapped Arata's head with the blunt end of its hilt, leaving a small stamp on the boy's forehead. It was at that moment a small circle of blue energy formed under Arata's feet and his body sank into the ground.

"Thank you for everything, Ichigo!" Arata said before his soul was completely gone. Once the light vanished, a hell butterfly appeared from the spot and began making its flight to the Soul Society.

"It would seem our mission is complete," Nemu said as she watched the messenger insect depart for her home realm.

"I hope Arata finds his parents," Ichigo said. He then turned to Nemu as he rested his sword on his back. "Hey, Nemu. Thanks for the help back there. And for patching me up."

"It was my pleasure, Master Kurosaki," Nemu responded.

"Again with the 'Master Kurosaki' thing," Ichigo muttered as he shook his head. "But how did you get here so quickly?" he asked. "I would've thought you went back to the Seireitei after this morning."

"Actually, my departure for the Seireitei is at 6:00 p.m.," Nemu said as she averted her gaze from Ichigo and folded her arms. "Until then, I decided it would be best to spend my time here and add more valuable information before I return." Truth be told, Nemu still didn't know why she entered the fray. While it was her duty to slay hollows and secure pluses, her captain ordered her to keep an observatory stance at all costs. While she knew this, the lieutenant was concerned more about Ichigo's safety than her mission. It was only when the enemy tried using a sneak attack on Ichigo did she quickly decide to react. Little did either of them know that the scent from Ichigo's cologne intensified at that very instance and was another key factor in the lieutenant's judgment call.

"Oh, right. Well, it's a good thing you were here. I guess I owe you one."

"You do not owe me anything, Master Kurosaki."

Ichigo sighed. _"Oh man. I give up," _he thought in defeat. "Well, I better get back to school. Since lunch is already over, I have to get to my gym class. Hope Chad and Uryu gave that crazy-ass Kagine a good excuse." The teen turned around and took a few steps toward the school's direction. "See you later, Nemu," he called with a wave before vanishing with a shunpo.

"Good-bye… Ichigo…" she said in a light tone and a blush appearing on her face.

* * *

After a swift couple of minutes of backtracking, Ichigo had returned to his school's roof. The teen looked around for his body, but saw it was gone. "What the hell?" Ichigo muttered. "Where's my body at? And what happened to my food?" He then turned to the gate and saw a small note stuck to the wires. The shinigami pulled the piece of paper off and read it.

"'Dear, Ichigo. Chad and I felt that leaving your body here would've been an inconvenience. Especially since the Junior and Senior level students usually have their lunch break after ours.'" Ichigo nodded in agreement from the point taken. The last thing he wanted was for his vessel to be subjected to any embarrassing or damaging abuse by the older students. "'So instead we decided to set it in the boy's bathroom and told the teacher you came down with a severe case of food poisoning.' What the hell! How's that any better! Was the school nurse's hands tied!" Ichigo shouted. He then saw that the message continued to the other side of the paper. "' Just so you don't get lost, your body is in the bathroom on the same floor as our class and in the second stall from the end. Get back soon, Uryu Ishida.' That son of a… Wait, what's this? 'P.S. Keigo took 300 yen from your wallet. He said that you owed him, but it's not my concern. Also, Mizuiro ate the last of your lunch. I figured you wouldn't mind seeing that you would be gone for quite a while.'"

After reading the information, an upset Ichigo crumbled the note. "Damn it, Uryu!" he growled as he threw it on the ground. "After I get my body back, I'm gonna kick that quincy bastard's ass!" Using the information he learned, Ichigo entered the school to retrieve his body. Once he arrived at the designated bathroom, the teen grabbed his vessel and allowed his soul to enter his form. The teen then hurried to the changing room, only to find that the class was over. "Freakin' fantastic," he muttered.

"Ichigo Kurosaki!" someone shouted directly behind him. Ichigo jumped from the sudden outburst and found himself in the displeased gaze of his gym teacher, Kagine. "Glad you can finally join us! Too bad it's the end of class!"

"Look, I can explain," Ichigo replied as a bead of sweat dripped from his head. "I, uh… I came down with food poisoning… Someone put something in my lunch and I was in the bathroom the entire time."

"Yeah, right!" Kagine shouted. "Do you really expect me to believe that load of crap! You must be out of your mind!"

"Actually, Ichigo's telling the truth, sir," Chad said as he and Uryu stood behind their shinigami comrade.

"Chad! Uryu! Thanks for backing me up, guys!" Ichigo said gratefully.

"It wasn't a pretty sight considering how much he vomited," Uryu added. "I told him to go see the nurse, but Ichigo said he'd rather stay in the bathroom. You can only guess what the stall looks like now."

"I swear to god I'm going to kill you," Ichigo threatened in a low tone.

"Well, since the two of you are vouching for him and, I regrettably admit, you're one of my top five students, I'll let this little incident slide," Kagine said. "But if you ever ditch my class again or do anything to degrade this school's reputation, then I will personally see you kicked out of here! Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-Yes, sir. Perfectly," Ichigo said as he stepped out of the way. "I'll try to watch what I eat next time." With that said, the teen joined his friends as they left for the class. When the trio were out of the gym teacher's sight, Ichigo glanced at Uryu and called, "Hey, Ishida."

"What is it?" the quincy asked. His answer came in the form of Ichigo literally kicking his ass hard enough for him to fall to the ground. "Damn it! What did you do that for!"

"Well for starters, you practically left me hanging on the toilet like some marionette on the table! But before that, you let both Keigo and Mizuiro rob me blind!"

"You should be lucky I even went out of my way to give you a cover story! I could've just left you up there for a senior hazing!"

"Went out of your way? You should've at least sent me to the principal's office! If I didn't return when I did, my face would've been on the damn bathroom floor!"

"Your point?" the quincy quipped.

"Bastard…"

"Ichigo, what happened when you were gone?" Chad asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Huh?" Ichigo turned to the large Mexican with a skeptical glance.

"I could sense a large mass of hollow spiritual pressure not too far from here. Was it an arrancar?"

"No, it was just a few hollows trying to get the jump on me," Ichigo clarified. "It wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

"That's good to hear," Uryu said. "But still, an ambush by individual hollows? Whenever they do hunt, it's usually in smaller numbers."

"What do you think is going on, Ichigo?" Chad asked.

"I really don't know. Maybe it had something to do with Arata."

"Arata?" Uryu asked. "Who's that?"

"He's this boy I sent to Soul Society. What? Do you think they were attracted by his spirit energy?"

"I don't know. But if they were, I'm sure they won't cause any trouble now that he's safe."

"You're right," Ichigo agreed. The trio continued on to their homeroom. As they walked, the substitute turned to the window and stared at the sky. _"I sure hope he's doing alright,"_ he thought.

* * *

Two hours passed until school was finally over for the day. He managed to get his money back from Keigo and his bento box by Mizuiro (though not without a "friendly" punch). The teen was glad that he could finally kick back and rest. Even so, thoughts from earlier that day occupied his mind, especially when it came to his contact with Nemu. In fact, it was her attractive face from when she healed him that was pasted in his mind like a photo image on a computer's background.

When the teen arrived at the bus stop located down the street, he sat down on the bench, awaiting for public transportation to show up. However, since he was occupied with his thoughts, Ichigo didn't notice Tatsuki sitting next to him. "You seem to be deep in thought," the raven-haired fighter said.

"What?" Ichigo said as he glanced at his old friend. "I don't know what you're talking about," he replied.

"Ichigo. I've known you since we were kids," Tatsuki responded. "You may have a permanent frown, but it's not too difficult to figure out what you're thinking about."

"Yeah, right," the teen said.

Tatsuki chuckled at the teenage male's response. "So what are you doing this weekend?"

Ichigo groaned as his head dropped. Thanks to Tatsuki, he remembered that he had to train with the Vizards the next day. While the training was harsh from time to time, it was a few of the members that annoyed him to no end. Just thinking of a couple of the exiles gave him a migraine. "Let's say I have to visit some… estranged relatives tomorrow."

"Wow. Is it that bad?"

"You have no idea," he sighed.

"I see. Maybe I'll see you on Sunday."

"Why? There's nothing going on then."

"Exactly. Which makes it perfect for me to kick your ass at the arcade," she replied with a wide smile.

Seeing the challenge, Ichigo gave the young woman a scowl. "Not a chance, Tatsuki." He then saw the bus coming down the road and closing the gap. It wasn't long until the vehicle made a stop in front of the bench they were sitting on. "Fine. You're on then."

"Great. I'll see you then," she said. When bus' door slid open, the two teens climbed up the steps and took their seats. It would be a good half an hour until they returned to their homes.

* * *

Author's Note 1: Hey everyone. Glad to see that all of you are loving this story. Anyway, I'm not entirely sure about that scene between Ichigo and Uryu. I mean, while the two are good friends, they're also rivals at the same time. I figured I could play on that rivalry, though it's possible that I might have exaggerated that relationship a Still, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.

Author's Note 2: It's possible a few of you felt that between this chapter and the last, it was a fast upload. Well, I wanted to get this third part submitted before my dentist appointment on the 29th. I'm going to have my wisdom teeth pulled, meaning I'll be under a lot of painkillers and other types of needed drugs. Of course, I also wanted to get it done in case, for some unforeseen reason, I don't wake up from the procedure (guess you can say I'm overly-cautious and very ). But as soon as I fully recover, you'll have another great chapter to read. I'll get back to you guys soon.


	4. Chapter 4: The Man in the Hollow Mask

Author's Note 1: Hey, sorry for the long wait. Like I said, I've been rather busy lately. Plus it's my first time writing about the Vizards (those loveable exiled hybrids) and trying to write multiple characters and keep their personalities intact can be difficult. Then there's the exciting fight scene near the end which takes a while to create when you have to study the fighting styles of characters and relearn how to write that kind of stuff. But hey, what matters is it's finally done. I hope you guys love this chapter, which is the longest to date. It also introduces a fourth possible love interest who I'm sure many of you would enjoy.

Author's Note 2: In case you don't get the title, it's a reference off of the 1977 film "The Man in the Iron Mask". In case no one caught the titles of the past chapters, they've also been named after movies.

* * *

**Ch. 4: The Man in the Hollow Mask**

It was around 10:00 A.M. and the start of a new weekend for Ichigo. After eating his breakfast and surviving another attack from his father, the substitute shinigami returned to his room to get dressed. When he finished, the teen left his quarters wearing a pair of gray pants and a red t-shirt that read "Killer Berry" in bold scratchy font. Normally, this would be the day he would take a rest and hang out with his friends. Instead, this was the day that Ichigo had to go see the vizards, shinigami-hollow hybrids much like himself. With his hands in his pockets, Ichigo walked back downstairs and continued his way to the door. "I'll see you guys later," Ichigo announced to his family.

"Where are you going, Ichigo?" Yuzu asked.

The teen knew he couldn't tell them about his appointment. It wasn't just because they were a secret group who wanted as little attention as possible. It was simply because the eight individuals were among the oddest people he had ever met in one place at one time. So strange and dysfunctional, it made his family (or rather his father), look completely sane by comparison. Though of course, if he did mention them, then he might as well start explaining his entire history as a shinigami. That would be the last thing he needed to do. No matter how freaky his father was, the teen didn't want his sisters to get involved in spiritual matters or be concerned for his safety. "I'm going to study with some friends," Ichigo lied. "I'll be back by the end of the day."

"Alright then," Karin said while she watched television. She waved her brother off, paying more attention to the screen than her older sibling. "See you when you get back."

As Ichigo opened the front door, the strawberry-haired boy was caught by surprise as a large foot connected to his chest. "Haha! Caught you with my Hidden Master Lion's Kick! Looks like you still need some training, son!" the gloating father replied.

Ichigo glared at his parent, a large tick mark formed on his face. "Is that right?" he growled. Isshin cocked a brow and looked at his foot. He was shocked to see that his son managed to catch his strike as it connected with his body. "It's payback time, you crazy bastard!" he replied. Before Isshin could respond, Ichigo twisted his body around and mustered enough strength to hurl his father across the house.

Isshin screamed during his short flight until he crashed right next to the poster of his late wife, Masaki. "Oh Masaki!" Isshin cried as soon as he recovered. Tears flowed down his eyes as he clung to the wallpaper. "Our son is so strong, yet so mean at the same time! Why, oh why does he have to act like this!"

Ichigo sighed in embarrassment from the man's display. _"I wonder how many times he was dropped on his head as a child?"_ he mentally asked. "I'll see you guys later," the teen said as he went out the door.

"Be sure to come back by dinner!" Yuzu called to her brother.

"Will do," Ichigo responded with a subtle wave before he closed the door. Now outside, the teen walked down the street for a few blocks until he reached the bus stop. Once there, the teen sat on the bench and waited for his ride to arrive.

True, the teen could have transformed into his shinigami self, carry his body, and arrive at the vizard's hideout in under five minutes by use of a quick shunpo sprint. However, Ichigo was in no real rush to train with these individuals. Between the constant annoyances by the members and the barely survivable beatings from Hiyori, he would rather procrastinate before uniting with his half-hollow colleagues. Of course, unlike certain people he knew, Ichigo felt he was above such standards. Though in all honesty, the temptation to shirk was there.

* * *

After an hour long bus ride, the strawberry-haired male arrived at the Komatsu district. Part of south-eastern region of Karakura Town, it is an industrialized area mostly covered with factories and warehouses. Aside from the few residential buildings and small homes, there were few signs of permanent habitation. Though with Hachigen's barriers, it wasn't surprising that the vizards managed to stay underground for over a century.

After a short hike from the bus stop, the teen arrived at the front of the vizard's home. He stood for a second and looked the building over. It was rather old and seemingly abandoned with its broken windows, worn out paint, and small holes. However, from the loud bickering, it was clear that the inside was full of activity. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew by the voices, it involved Shinji and Hiyori. "Looks like those idiots have already started," Ichigo sighed. "Let's get this over with." Wanting to finish his training for the day, he walked to the front of the warehouse and entered the building.

Once inside, he saw Shinji screaming on the ground with Hiyori standing on top of him. The pig-tailed girl was pulling back on his arms, trying to break the poor man's limbs out of his sockets. As the so-called leader was being beaten, the rest of the vizards watched the spectacle from the three broken levels above. "You better take back what you said, dickhead!" Hiyori threatened. "Or you'll find it real hard to eat with no hands!"

"S-Screw you, ya damned snaggletooth!" Shinji managed to say before his face was stomped into the ground.

"What did I say, idiot! Stop calling me snaggletooth!"

"Only after you get your heavy ass off me!" exclaimed the downed Shinji. Though considering the fact his face was planted in the floor and his mouth was full of concrete, it was hard to understand what he said. However, that didn't stop Hiyori from delivering the added punishment to the back of his cranium.

As the fight was going on below and many of the members were watching the altercation, Lisa paid little to no attention. Instead, she was more interested in her josei manga. To her, seeing Shinji and Hiyori squabble was as ordinary as the sunrise. Sure the first few times were exciting, but after the twenty year mark, the brawls had lost their luster and became more of an annoyance (like professional wrestling to some people). The ponytail-wearing woman took a quick glance away from her reading and saw Ichigo standing near the doorway. Seeing his nonchalant expression as he watched the one-sided massacre, she knew that he had gotten used to seeing the abusive show by now. "Hey, you two. Our honorary guest is back," the ex-lieutenant said.

"Well about damn time," Hiyori said as she now had Shinji in a STS. The young vizard broke the painful hold, causing Shinji's head to crash into the floor once more. She walked over to Ichigo and glared daggers at the shinigami. "About time your ass finally showed up!" she hissed. "You're late again!"

"How am I late?" Ichigo asked. "You never told me when I'm supposed to get here!"

"Shut up, Strawberry! If I said you're late, then that means you're late! You got that!"

"Like hell I do!" Ichigo retorted. "I can't be late if I was never told when to get here!"

"Don't argue with me, ass hat! You should know by now to address me as Master Sarugaki! Learn some respect!"

"You've got to be kidding me! There's no way I'm calling you that!"

"You ungrateful little bastard…!" Hiyori hissed as she began to ball up her fists. The young vizard clearly wanted to start his "training regimen" right then and there.

Luckily for Ichigo, he was momentarily spared from meeting the same fate as Shinji when Hachigen appeared behind Hiyori. "I believe that is quite enough, Hiyori," the large Kido expert said as he held her in place. The girl squirmed and screamed as she tried to break out of the larger man's grip, but to no avail. "Now that Ichigo is here, why don't we all move to the training grounds."

Knowing that escape was impossible, Hiyori stopped resisting. "Fine, whatever," she complied. Seeing that the small girl had (somewhat) calmed down, Hachigen took his hands off of her shoulders. Hiyori then turned her attention back on Ichigo with a piercing stare. "We'll settle this downstairs. Hope you're little break didn't have you get softer than you already are," she insulted.

"Trust me, you'll see soon enough," Ichigo shot back.

Hiyori only scoffed before walking toward Shinji and grabbing his leg. The supposed leader groaned in agony as the small vizard dragged his bloodied, broken corpse down the stairs to their expanded attic as if he were a small wagon. As Hachigen and many of the others followed, Lisa jumped from her spot and walked toward Ichigo. "Looks like you actually came back," the fuku-wearing vizard said. "I figured you wouldn't simply ditch us as soon as you left this place."

"Like I said, I'm here because you're the only ones who can help me suppress my inner hollow," Ichigo explained. "It's not like I can really go anywhere else for my situation."

"Is that a fact?" Lisa asked in a wryly tone. "I would have figured it's because this is a place where you can find free porn books."

"Wh-What!" Ichigo instantly facefaulted from Lisa's comment. "Sh-Shut up! Stop pushing your junk on me, you perverted woman!"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Lisa asked. "It's a healthy interest. God you're such a prude."

"And you're a pervert all the same."

Lisa growled under her breath as she glared at the young man before her. Before the young woman could retort, Love returned to the main level, standing near the staircase. "Hey, if you love birds are done kissing, why don't you get down here."

"Shut up!" Both Lisa and Ichigo shouted in unison.

A chill went down the man's spine from the teamed order. Hearing Lisa shout at him was scary enough, but having both her and Ichigo do it in stereo was just as horrifying. "Alright then…" he replied as he tried to hide his fear. "Just so you knew…" The star-headed vizard left the room and made his way back downstairs.

"Come on," Ichigo said as he took the lead. "I want to get this thing over and done with."

Lisa gave a light nod. "Of course you do," she said as she turned to the staircase. Walking to the training ground's entrance, the young woman stopped as she smelled something strong nearby. _"What is that?"_ she thought as she took a few whiffs. _"Hm… Not bad. I wonder where…"_ Lisa stopped in mid-thought as she slowly turned to face Ichigo. _"Oh I get it now. It looks like the little boy is taking his first steps to manhood."_ Upon realizing that Ichigo was the source of the odor, a small smile grew on her face. "Hey Ichigo," she called.

"What is it now?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"Nice to see you finally discovered cologne. I didn't think you were the kind to wear it," the young woman said. Ichigo's cheeks started to redden as he saw the vizard giving him a sultry glare. "Is it possible you're expecting something from somebody?" the vizard asked suggestively.

Ichigo took a step back in surprise by Lisa's sudden change in demeanor. Sweat dripped from his face and his cheeks grew red. He was both confused and embarrassed by both his and Lisa's behavior. _"What is she talking about?" _the teen thought as he tried to gather his thoughts. _"I haven't put any of that stuff on since yesterday. It should've worn off by now. Wait… How does she know I'm wearing cologne? Even if I did put that stuff on, it doesn't have any smell. So how-"_

Seeing Ichigo's nervousness to her advances, Lisa decided to end her flirting. Pushing her glasses against her face, the young woman reverted to her calm attitude. "What are you doing just standing there?" Lisa called, interrupting his train of thought. She now stood with her hands at her hips as if nothing occurred. "Are you coming or not?"

"Y-Yeah, yeah! Just... don't do that ever again!" the strawberry-haired teen said as he ejected his spirit from his body. Lisa only shrugged before continuing down the steps. Whatever was on Ichigo's mind wasn't her concern. _"She's just messing with me, that's all,"_ the substitute shinigami assured himself. Shaking the thoughts from his mind, the teen walked to the stairs and made his way underground where the other vizards awaited.

* * *

"Took your sweet time, dumbass!" Hiyori called as Ichigo finally came down. Behind her, Hachigen was focusing on healing Shinji. "Were ya scared of the beating you'll be taking?"

"You wish," Ichigo shot back. The teen leapt from the stairs and to the rough terrain below. Grabbing Zangetsu, the teen pulled the massive blade from its wrapped sheath and held it in front of him. "Bring it on, you fang-faced dwarf!" he goaded. The teen ripped his hand across his face, creating his skull-like hollow mask.

Hiyori snarled from the name. "You bastard!" she hollered as she grabbed her zanpakuto from the scabbard on her back. At the same time, her oni-like hollow mask began to form onto her face. As soon as it completely formed, the ex-lieutenant's reiatsu increased drastically.

"Uh oh," Rose said with a small smile across his face. "It looks like Hiyori's about to throw a fit again."

"Now I'm really feeling sorry for the kid," Love noted. He then turned to Shinji, who was still being healed by a focused Hachigen. The good news was that the ex-captain was still alive. Of course, he was far from being at one-hundred percent thanks to all the broken bones, massive internal bleeding, and small concussion received from his recent close call with Hiyori. _"If Hiyori did that, then you can be sure Ichigo's gonna look a whole lot worse."_

"Bring it on!" Ichigo replied as both he and Hiyori dashed forward. Once they met, the two combatants swords clashed with a loud clang. Both hybrids glared at one another with black and gold eyes, testing one another's power. Ichigo tried using his strength and size to push down on the smaller girl, but it was Hiyori who managed to shove the teen away and attack with a powerful kick.

The force of the attack was enough to toss him in the air, though he managed to recover quickly. He glanced down and saw Hiyori jump toward him. The strawberry-haired teen managed to block his rival's zanpakuto before the slash connected. "Is that all you got!" Hiyori barked before she flung him back to the ground like a rock in a sling. Ichigo crashed hard in a small hill, his body resting in a small crater as Hiyori landed on her feet. The girl pulled her mask up and scowled at her "apprentice". "I knew we shouldn't have let you leave. Freakin' weakling."

"Shut up…" Ichigo growled as he pushed himself back to his feet. With sword still surprisingly clutched in his hand, the strawberry-haired vizard held it closely in front. With a loud battle yell, the teen charged at Hiyori again and slashed. Hiyori side-stepped from the attack before jumping and kicking at her sparring partner's face. However, Ichigo managed to block her foot with his left arm. Hiyori gritted her teeth while Ichigo smirked under his mask. Hiyori continued to pummel at Ichigo multiple times, but her attack was still being blocked by the limb.

After a few minutes, Ichigo swung at Hiyori, causing her to distance herself from him. With his opponent hanging back, the teen decided to leap away as well to catch his breath. He grunted as he started feeling the stinging sensation in the arm he defended with. "What the hell are you doing!" Hiyori replied. "Don't back down from your opponent, dumbass!"

Ichigo only responded with a growl. For the moment, he was starting to grow curious over his performance. _"What just happened?"_ Ichigo thought. _"My mask hasn't shattered yet and I'm keeping up with Hiyori much more easily."_

"That's it!" Hiyori shouted. The impatient girl came at Ichigo with a strong punch. At the last second, Ichigo pull his head back just far enough to feel a slight breeze from the glancing blow. He then countered with an upper slash from below. Hiyori was caught off guard, but managed to leap away from the swing before Zangetsu's edge could touch her. "Well, well," Hiyori said in a bemused tone. "Looks like you've done more than just sit on your ass for two weeks."

"You're damn right!" Ichigo said. It was true Ichigo hadn't been twiddling his thumbs since he left the vizard's hideout. Whenever he had the chance, he would train in Kisuke's basement as well as commune with Zangetsu. Yet he never figured that after such a short time, he would grow this strong. "I've been wanting to kick your ass for some time now! And I think today might be that day!"

"Don't get cocky, strawberry!" Hiyori said before sliding the mask back on her face. "Just because you managed to hang on for this long, doesn't mean you've mastered a thing. You're still a talentless dickwad!"

"Is that so?" Ichigo responded. "Let's see how talentless I am after I beat your ass, fangface." With that said, both Ichigo and Hiyori resumed their training session.

As the two shinigami fought, the other vizards watched over the battle with piqued interest. The two combatants were unaware of the fact that Ichigo had kept his mask on for the past couple minutes. Quite a feat considering that the most their training gave him last time was a measly ten seconds. "Well would you look at that," Love replied. "It looks like Ichigo's been improving since a couple weeks ago."

"I gotta say, I had my doubts about Strawberry," Mashiro said. "But it looks like he's not as much of a loser as we thought."

"That maybe so," Kensei said. "While the boy's got a lot of potential, he's still a punk. It's clear that the kid's obviously stubborn and headstrong. He needs to learn some restraint and trust more in his instincts if he really wants to improve."

"So in other words, he kinda reminds you of yourself, huh?" Mashiro quipped.

"Shut up, you little pest!" Kensei shot back. Mashiro only giggled. As usual, she had the white-haired man strung around her finger.

As the group critiqued Ichigo's apparent progress, Lisa kept to herself and read her book. Still, that didn't mean she was unaware of the strawberry-haired teen's growth. In between pages, the fuku-wearing vizard would peek over her manga to observe the spar every now and then. As usual, her curiosity got the better of her and it wasn't long until she put her book down and actually watched (which was rare considering her reputation for never letting go of her readings). _"Looks like Ichigo has gotten better at keeping his mask on,"_ she thought as she watched the teen hold his own against the experienced ex-lieutenant.

The pony-tailed woman watched as Ichigo continued to counter Hiyori's movements and block most of her attacks. It was only after a strong kick to his jaw that the teen's mask actually shattered. With his mask gone, the teen was sent halfway across the field before colliding with another structure. "So what was that about kicking my ass?" Hiyori mocked.

"It's not over yet!" Ichigo replied as he ripped the mask across his face once more. With a loud battle yell, the substitute shinigami entered the battle. It didn't matter what it took, he was driven to beat Hiyori sometime today.

"_That was about three minutes,"_ Lisa observed. _"Not bad. And he recovered pretty quickly between the break."_ She couldn't help but marvel over Ichigo's progress. Like many of the others in the group, she also thought of him as a weakling who had little affinity over controlling his inner hollow. Yet here he was, giving Hiyori a run for her money. Then again, it didn't come as much of a surprise to her. During one of her eavesdropping sessions, the young woman heard about his impressive growth rate (vicariously through Shinji when he last met with Urahara). However, being the curious woman she was, there was something on her mind over Ichigo's stunning progress as she watched his match carefully. _"I wonder, have his powers and control really improved this much since his last visit? Or has he simply gotten use to Hiyori's attacks? Either way, he is proving to be a match to Hiyori and a very promising vizard in training."_

"So you're seeing it too," a male voice said from beside her. Lisa glanced to her left and saw Shinji sitting next to her. The blonde-haired man was watching over the battle as well. Like her, he was mentally taking notes over Ichigo's growth rate. "The boy's been improving. Not bad for a guy who was so close to becoming a rampaging hollow."

"Looks like you healed pretty quickly," Lisa said as she returned to her manga. "I would've figured you'd be out for another hour or so."

"What can I say, I heal quick," Shinji said nonchalantly with a shrug. "Would you like to see if everything works, my first love?" he said with a lecherous tone. Before he could close the distance, Lisa slammed her book into the blonde's face and peeled it off. "Ow that stings!" Shinji yelled in pain and held his face that was now decorated with a red square.

"Do it again, and we'll see whether Hachigen's healing powers can reconstruct your face."

"Alright, alright! I get it! You don't have to be so cruel," Shinji said as he waved submissively. "Anyway, what do you think we should do about Ichigo? It's clear that he's understands the basics of this endurance training."

"That's true," Lisa agreed. "What do you have in mind now that Ichigo's reached this level?"

A wide smile grew on Shinji's face. "Well I have one idea which I'm sure you'll love." Lisa turned slightly toward the blonde and arched her eyebrow. "Don't think I haven't seen the way you've been watching the kid out of the corner of your eye. Something tells me your interested in more than his training," he said wily tone. Lisa literally assaulted his claim with yet another whack from her graphic novel. Again Shinji screamed in agony as he rubbed his face. Added with the last hit from the book, the ex-leader was in twice as much pain as before.

Though Lisa denied the man's statement, there was some truth to his words. For Lisa, Ichigo was like a breath of fresh air. A welcome edition to their merry crew. It had been so long since she had contact with another person. Especially someone she could relate to due to their similar attitudes and condition. Whenever he wasn't training, the two would either partake in small talk (though Lisa would usually annoy him by poking at his shyness and his lack of skill compared to herself) or simply sit back and enjoy one another's company.

"So what's this big idea you're talking about?" Lisa asked.

Shinji hissed in pain as he held his bleeding nose. "Well I figured you could give him some pointers," the man answered. "Hiyori's been good and all, but her roughhousing style can only get him so far. Maybe you can start helping Ichigo out in other areas."

"So you want me to take over? Why won't you take the reins?"

"I would if I could, but I'm thinking you can unlock Ichigo's potential better than I can. You can see it, can't you? The kid's fighting style and his knack for speed are similar to yours. He's a natural at what he does, but I'm sure you're just itching to see how much stronger the boy can become."

Lisa mentally nodded over Shinji's council. She could see the similarities in the fighting styles. Indeed the teen was fast and his bankai was said to surpass even shunpo standards. Thinking over the possibilities, the ex-lieutenant couldn't help but crack a smirk behind her book. "I guess I can teach the kid a thing or two. At least, if it's not wasting too much of my time."

Shinji smiled at the glasses-wearing woman. "Great. I'm glad to hear it, Lisa." As Lisa continued on her reading, Shinji resumed observing the final session between Ichigo and Hiyori. _"I hope you're ready, Ichigo,"_ he thought. _"Lisa has a lot of faith in your abilities. Try not to disappoint her."

* * *

_

A couple of hours had passed since the beginning of the sparring session. With their practice at an end, Hiyori, Ichigo, and the rest of the vizards decided to take the time to have lunch. Today's dish was yakitori with tempora covered shrimp and a side of rice. As usual, Ichigo wondered why there was such a sudden break, though kept his queries to himself. After receiving his plate, the strawberry-haired shinigami sat in a secluded spot a short distance away from the other vizard.

As he peacefully enjoyed his dish, the teen was unaware of Lisa sitting on the rock next him. "Not bad," she said. Ichigo turned to the woman's direction as she saw her with a fork in one hand and her manga in the other. "You actually managed to give Hiyori a descent workout."

"To be honest, I was a bit surprised," Ichigo replied. "Not only was I able to keep my mask on longer, but it was easier to read Hiyori's moves. I guess those extra lessons from Urahara and Yoruichi helped a bit. Still, I didn't think I had become this strong in that amount of time."

Lisa chortled as she heard the information. _"I shouldn't be surprised,"_ she thought. _"Those two were the same ones who helped us control our powers all those years ago. Nice to see they haven't lost their touch."_

"Hey. What are you thinking about up there?" Ichigo asked as he watched her from the corner of his eye.

"Nothing," the young woman answered. "Just the four thousand yen that I won."

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked in confusion.

"Oh. I guess I haven't told you," she said with a mischievous smirk on her face. "You see, Rose bet me two thousand yen that you wouldn't come today. Of course, since you did, I won that little wager. Then Kensei ran another bet for two thousand more yen saying that you wouldn't last one minute with Hiyori. And since you proved him wrong, he owes me a couple grand."

"So wait! You were betting on me! What the hell, Lisa!" Ichigo screamed from hearing the explanation. It was clear that he did not like being the topic of a gamble. Though what was worse was knowing that those two vizards would even underestimate against him in the first place. _"God, I'm gonna kick their asses!"_ he mentally snarled before ripping off a piece of chicken from his yakitori stick.

"What the big deal?" Lisa said as she took a bite of her shrimp. "If you didn't hear, I was rooting for you the entire time. And what better way to show my support than by placing money where my mouth is?"

"That's no excuse," he said.

"Alright, fine," the glasses-wearing woman said. "Since you helped me win and I'm such a nice person, I'll give you, oh… a thousand yen. How does that sound?"

"What! Hell no! I should get the whole damn pot!" Ichigo argued.

"In your dreams," Lisa said in a light tone.

The teen glared daggers at the vizard senior. However, she paid no attention to his deathly stare. With her eyes closed, the woman continued eating in peace, enjoying both her meal and the torment she was giving Ichigo. The substitute averted his gaze and continued eating his meal. _"Damn that perverted woman,"_ he thought before deciding to change the subject. "So now that I have the concentration down, what's next on the list?"

"You'll find out," Lisa simply stated. "Finish your plate and you'll see."

Ichigo only spun his eyes knowing that this was how Lisa works. Holding back what may be crucial information from him was just another game. _"God she annoys me to no end,"_ the strawberry-haired teen figured.

* * *

After about an hour passed, Ichigo and the vizards gathered at the center of the training area. The substitute shinigami stood with folded shoulders as he scowled at Shinji. The blonde man stood lackadaisically with a toothy grin as the rest of the group sat around them on surrounding rocks. The air was full of tension as the audience awaited for their leader to speak. "I guess congratulations are in order, Ichigo," Shinji said with a slick tone. "You managed to keep your hollow mask on for more than a few minutes and you survived Hiyori's training. Not half bad for a guy with barely any self-control."

"So what's next, Shinji?" Ichigo asked, ignoring his last statement.

"Well, you've got the basics down. That much is certain. Now the real fun is about to begin." Shinji turned to Lisa, whose sheathed sword was hung from her right side. "Lisa, would you be so kind as to come over here?" the ex-captain asked politely.

With a shrug, Lisa jumped off her seat and stood next to the smiling man. "I'm sure you're acquainted with Lisa Yadomaru by now, Ichigo."

"We've met," the teen replied as he averted his gaze, still agitated from her past wagers.

"Anyway, Lisa will be taking over your training for now."

"What!" Ichigo replied in shock. At first, the teen thought he was hearing things. "No way! She's in charge now!" Turning to Lisa, the teen received confirmation as he saw a corner of the female vizard's mouth turn up in a small smirk. Ichigo narrowed his glare, realizing why Lisa said nothing to him before. He also realized how troubling the woman was going to be on the battlefield.

"Hold on!" Hiyori called. "Why ain't I continuing with Ichigo's training! The dumbass can barely function on his own!"

"Shut up, idiot!" Ichigo replied.

"Make me, strawberry shortcake!" Hiyori shot back.

"Enough, enough! Geez," an irritated Shinji said. "The reason is because you're style was to help him with his endurance as well as gauge his power. Ichigo had learn how to maintain his mask while under pressure in a head-on battle."

With a short growl, Hiyori returned to her seat and glared at Shinji. She wouldn't admit it, but Ichigo was the best (and only) student she ever had. Even though she didn't give him the time of day, the pig-tailed girl knew that the teen was powerful and had the makings of a good vizard. _"Shinji, you better be sleeping with one eye open tonight,"_ she thought.

"That was step one of the training. Step two is an expansion on that. Now that you've learned how to keep your mask on for extended periods, it's time to train you in other areas."

"Alright, I get it. So what's Lisa supposed to be doing then?" Ichigo asked.

"I'll take it from here," Lisa said to Shinji. Deciding to let her explain, Shinji moved off to the side as Lisa stood in his position. "While you fought in a more conventional scenario before, this time you will be fighting with less restrictions. The point here is to see how much control you have when you're using both your mask and your other skills. I want you to show me what you're really capable of."

"So do you understand, Ichigo?" Shinji asked. "You're real training begins here. Think you can handle it?"

"You know I can!" Ichigo replied. "I came here to better learn how to use my powers. And I won't stop until I learn everything I need to know."

Shinji's smile widened. "Alright then," he said. "Best of luck to you. With Lisa, you're really going to need it." With that said, Shinji and the others distanced themselves from the two vizards.

With his sword in hand, Ichigo readied himself for the ex-lieutenant. While he knew that she was strong, the teen didn't know exactly how strong she was. The only time they fought was when he transformed into a hollow state. However, since he was occupied with his inner hollow and unaware of the battle outside his subconscious, the shinigami didn't know what to expect from her. Ichigo watched Lisa with a studious eye waiting for her to make a move.

Lisa, on the other hand, was excited. She thought back to the battle they had when Ichigo transformed and the rush it gave her. The young woman had never seen someone so strong and fast. Indeed that version of Ichigo was quite the dangerous opponent, a blood-thirsty beast who quickly adapted to strategy and ran on instinct. The ex-lieutenant was anxious to see if the teen, now aware of the world around him, could match or supercede the power he displayed from his hollow-driven state. Still, she made sure to hide her emotions under a stoic, calm gaze that came so natural to her.

After a few moments of staring one another down, the two charged. Lisa pulled her out her zanpakuto with her left hand as Ichigo brought his large cleaver down upon her. The fuku-wearing woman quickly blocked the overhead strike with her scabbard as they met. The teen tried pushing his blade down against the woman's sheath, but to no avail. Even with one arm, Lisa held the teen off with ease. She then counterattacked with a swing of her zanpakuto, but Ichigo managed to distance himself from the strike.

Lisa quickly dashed after him and began striking at the novice vizard with both sword and sheath. Each swipe she made became faster and harder than the last. Ichigo was now stuck in defense, using his blade to shield himself from the onslaught of the ex-lieutenant. Before his defenses broke, Ichigo sidestepped with a shunpo and came at Lisa on her left side. Quickly, Lisa blocked the strike and swung her sheath with enough force to push the teen back. Ichigo slid across the terrain for a few meters, but managed to recover just in time to see Lisa seemingly materialize from above. With her zanpakuto raised in the air, Lisa was close to slicing the young man in two. Luckily, Ichigo dodged the strike just as his opponent's sword slammed on the ground.

A cloud of dust erupted from the impact zone with a sound akin to the blast of a bomb. Ichigo was surprised by the hard of an impact her attack made. "Are you trying to kill me!" Ichigo called. "I thought we were supposed to be training!"

Little did Ichigo know that Lisa had already shunpoed behind him. "It's the same thing," Lisa's whispered softly in his ear. Realizing the woman's position, Ichigo rolled forward, his head narrowly missing Lisa's passing swing of her long sword. "Stop holding back, Ichigo," she said as she rested her blade on top of her shoulder. "I want to see you go all out against me. I want to see the power that brought down a couple of the captains in the Gotei 13."

"How do you know about that!" Ichigo replied.

"We have our ways," Lisa said. By that, she meant how Yoruichi and Kisuke gloated about what their little substitute shinigami student achieved. It was like hearing a parental pair talk about the accolades of their honor student from school. "Now come on!" Lisa said as she pointed her sword directly at Ichigo.

With a cold gaze, Ichigo ripped his hand across his face to create his hollow mask. Ichigo then charged at Lisa at full force with his blade held at the side and a loud battle yell. Lisa only stood with a cold, calculating gaze as she readied herself for the teen's attack. Once in range, Ichigo swung Zangetsu's massive cleaver-shaped blade. Lisa blocked the stroke with her scabbard and swung her sword. However, Ichigo adjusted his weapon's angle to block her strike. A look of surprise briefly appeared on her face before the teen pushed Lisa back with all his strength.

Ichigo quickly darted after Lisa and began swiping at his sparing partner. Using her superior speed and extra weapon, Lisa began to parry against the younger shinigami's attacks. The two blocked and slashed at one another in an attempt to get the upper hand. Soon, Ichigo used a shunpo to try to get behind Lisa. However, the vizard saw the attack and quickly pushed him away with her scabbard. She tried to swat at him again, but Ichigo backed away with a shunpo. Now out of her range, Ichigo pulled his sword behind him, ready to unleash his signature attack. "Get ready for this! Getsuga Tensho!" the strawberry-haired shingiami yelled as he fired his blast at the woman.

Lisa watched as the wave of raw energy tore across the landscape like a shark's fin through water. Before the special attack connected, Lisa leapt over the attack with incredible ease. "You're gonna have to do better than that!" Lisa chided. Ichigo shunpoed to another position and fired a second Getsuga Tensho, but his strike missed again as the fuku-wearing warrior moved to the right. Wanting to finish the battle quickly, Lisa dove toward her target with her sword held in front diagonally. Seeing her coming close Ichigo started storing energy into Zangetsu's blade. _"What's he doing now?"_ Lisa thought as she was closing in. _"Does he really think I'll let him fire another Getsuga Tensho?"_ Lisa increased her speed and went in for the slash. Seeing her closing the distance, Ichigo swung his large cleaver forward. Before he could complete his swing, Lisa blocked his action with her sword. "It's over Ichigo," Lisa said with a deathly glare. "You loose."

"Don't count on that," Ichigo said with a wicked smile forming on his face. Before Lisa could react, the substitute shouted once more, "Getsuga Tensho!" The condensed spirit energy was released from his blade. However, since Ichigo was unable to continue his swing thanks to Lisa's block, both he and Lisa were engulfed in a dome of bright blue energy.

The vizards watched in both shock and awe as the mass explosion grew in size. High-speed winds raged in all directions and everything within the range of the massive burst of energy was instantly leveled. Many of the vizards stood at disbelief from what Ichigo had done.

"Hachi, I think you might want to put up a barrier around there," Love suggested.

"Right. Here it goes." Hachigen sat down and began murmuring an incantation. It wasn't long until golden walls of spiritual energy formed to contain the explosion. However, due to the density of the spiritual pressure inside the cube, the large man tried his best to concentrate on keeping the power inside. To be safe, the kido-master created a second layer to better control the energy.

After a few moments, the bright light from the blast subsided, creating a large cloud of thick dust. Hachigen put down his barrier after seeing the explosion die down. _"Such spiritual pressure…"_ Hachigen thought. _"I never knew so much could be released all at once..."_

"Do you think those two are okay," Mashiro asked with concern in her voice. However, everyone was too speechless to actually respond. Even Hiyori, the resident loudmouth, was speechless.

However, no one noticed the smile that Shinji still had. Ever since the beginning of the training to now, the young man was grinning from ear to ear. _"Crazy move, Ichigo,"_ he thought. _"I knew I should have brought my camera down here today."_

Once the smoke cleared, the group stood witness to a newly created crater. Due to the power of the blast, the impression was at least one hundred feet wide and dipped at least ten feet below ground level. Both Ichigo and Lisa laid on opposite sides of the bowl, both having the wind knocked out of them. The competitors were bruised and covered in scratches. After a few minutes, Lisa slowly rose to her feet with Ichigo settling for a knelt position. Both competitors tried to catch their breaths, but still kept one another in their sight. "You… You idiot!" Lisa called. "What… the hell were you thinking!"

Ichigo chuckled, his robes being nothing more than threads draped over his built. His mask was destroyed and the shattered pieces littered the ground around him. "I figured… since I couldn't catch you… why not let you… catch me?" he explained. "I knew that you were pretty fast… and that it would take a lot more… than speed… to beat you… So now that we're on even terms… I figured I'd have more.. more of a chance…"

Lisa had to give Ichigo credit. While it did critically wound both her and himself, the attack was pretty crafty. Lisa thought that disrupting Ichigo's technique would either cancel it out or lower its power. However, she didn't count on the teen still being able to unleash such a torrent of energy at full force. "I admit you got me there…" Lisa said. "But that doesn't mean you'll win… "

"So you say," Ichigo replied.

"So I do." The two shinigami began their advance toward one another. They ignored the pain that riddled their bodies, only focusing on winning the match.

Just as they were about to clash their swords, Shinji shunpoed between them, blocking their swings with his own zanpakuto. "I think it's safe to say that's enough today," he replied.

"No way, Shinji," Lisa replied. "This fight isn't over yet."

"That's right!" Ichigo agreed. "I still have some strength to spare!"

"Sure you do," Shinji replied. "But how's that supposed help when you use it to the point of exhausting yourself to death?" Ichigo didn't respond, only turning away from Shinji. The blonde-haired man then turned his attention to Lisa. "And look at you. I actually expected better. Tsk tsk tsk, Lisa. But hey, I can't argue with the choice of underwear."

"Just shut up, Shinji," Lisa replied as she kicked the ex-captain in the gut.

Shinji doubled over from the painful blow. "Ah! Why is everyone trying to kill me?"

Ichigo only watched as the leader writhed on the ground. He then watched Lisa walk away. Knowing that her sparring partner had her in his sights, she turned her head and smirked. "Enjoying the view, Ichigo?" she asked. "I guess that was your real reason for making that little explosion, huh?"

"Sh-Shut up, you pervert!" Ichigo replied with a beat red face. Lisa only chortled before continuing to the steps. She didn't want to stay here looking like she currently was. It was best that she changed into a fresh batch of clothing before doing anything else. Ichigo decided to go see Hachigen in order to heal his wounds. The last thing he wanted was to drop all of a sudden due to the lack of energy.

* * *

After getting healed and having his clothes repaired by Hachigen's kido spells, Ichigo and the remaining vizards returned to the first floor of their home. The substitute shinigami returned to his body and stood at the entrance. "Well, I better get back home," Ichigo replied.

"To be honest, I think you should stay here," Shinji replied. "There's still some work you have to do. But I guess it wouldn't be right to leave you're little sisters hanging."

"Who cares?" Kensei replied. "All that matters is that you get stronger. I don't care how you do it, as long as you get things done."

"Why do you have to be such a mean ol' jerk all the time, Kensei?" Mashiro asked.

"Would you shut up?"

"Well, it's a shame to see you leave," Rose said. "How about you come back next week?"

"I guess that can work," Ichigo said.

"Just don't be late next time, dumbass," Hiyori said with folded arms.

"God, would you just drop it, overbite?"

"Watch it, strawberry," Hiyori warned.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, not paying attention to the small girl's threat. He then noticed that there was someone missing from the group. "Hey, where's Lisa at?" he asked.

"Still getting dressed, I suppose," Hachigen replied. "It will take some time before she comes back down here."

"Right. Well, tell her that I said good bye and next time, I'm gonna beat her later on."

"We'll do that, Ichigo," Love said. "You just be sure to keep up with whatever training you're doing."

"Yeah, I know. I'll see you guys later." After saying his farewells, Ichigo openned the door and left the building. He continued to walk a few meters before glancing back at the hideout. _"Lisa, I won't stop until I beat you. That's a promise."_ With a new goal in mind, Ichigo continued on his way back home. He was going to train harder from now on and defeat his strong rival.

Little did he know that Lisa was also outside standing on the roof of the warehouse. Wearing a new school uniform, she wiped her glasses with a small cloth before putting them back on her face. She watched the teen leave her home with a smile on her face. _"Strong, determined, and talented,"_ the vizard thought. _"I can't wait to face you next time."_ Lisa then caught the smell of Ichigo's cologne. Even at a long distance, she could still smell the scent lingering on the young man. _"Hm… Maybe next time, you and I will do more than just spar."_


	5. Chapter 5: A Walk to Remember

Author's Note 1: Hey, I'm finally back with a new chapter. This one is mostly revolving around Tatsuki, but I made sure to add a few twists, turns, and surprises. Like I say, it's hard to keep a character's personality in tact within the story's context while also exploring their emotions. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Especially the TatsukixIchigo fans out there.

* * *

**Ch. 5: A Walk to Remember**

"Hey, Ichigo! Wake up!" a loud, obnoxious voice called early in the morning. It belong to the stuffed animal inhabiting gikongan, Kon. He stood on Ichigo's chest, waiting for a reaction. However, his yells fell on deaf ears as Ichigo was still sleeping his Sunday morning away. Infuriated by the teen ignoring him, the stuffed lion yelled once more. "Rise and shine, you idiot!" Again, there was no answer from the slumbering teen. He sighed in defeat, noting how the substitute shinigami slept like a rock. "Fine then. So be it! Don't say I didn't warn you!" With that said, Kon decided to wake him up the only way he knew how: by kicking him relentlessly in the face.

After a few moments of "punishment," Ichigo's eyes started to open. The light taps from the mod soul's beating woke him up. The teen knew something was going on, but his vision was too blurry. After a few more blinks, the boy saw Kon pummeling his face. Annoyed and groggy, Ichigo snatched Kon from his chest with a tight grip. He sat up and stared down at his uninvited guest. "What did I tell you about doing that early in the morning?" the strawberry-haired shinigami asked.

"Hey, let me go!" Kon ordered. "I mean it!" Ichigo decided to grant the little lion his wish. However, he did it by tossing him across the room. The mod soul crashed hard into the closet doors and slid down to the ground. Though feeling the sting from his collision, Kon quickly recovered. "Damn you, Ichigo!" he shouted, pointing at the boy with a malevolent finger.

"Would you shut up already?" Ichigo asked.

"Screw you!" Kon snapped back. "I still have a bone to pick with you for having me stay in Yuzu's room!" Ichigo raised a brow as he watched his aggravated house guest. At first, the teen had no idea about what Kon was talking about. Then he remembered about the incident a few days earlier when Yuzu found the little lion lying on the couch. Turns out, the gikongan was trying to order adult content on the cable again. However, the little girl managed to grab the lion before he could make his purchase and has been kept in her room ever since.

"_No wonder it's been relatively quiet in here for the past three days,"_ Ichigo thought as he gave an indifferent shrug. "Serves you right, pervert," Ichigo said as he stretched his arms. "I told you to stop going downstairs and ordering porn. It's not my fault you don't listen."

"Sometimes a lady-killer like me needs a little entertainment every once in a while. What's wrong with that?"

"You mean besides the fact you're depraved and are risking the chance of getting caught by my family every time you make your trips? Maybe it's everyone in this house thinking I'm the one doing this. Especially my dad, who using me as a scapegoat for the stuff he's already ordered."

"Oh man, you seriously need to live a little," Kon replied as he turned around and dug in his ear. "Maybe a little 'adult contemporary material' would do a guy like you some good."

"And maybe I should send you to Uryu's for an extreme makeover," the substitute countered.

Hearing this, Kon froze in horror. The last thing he wanted was to be dressed as Queen Elizabeth III once again. "Y-You wouldn't dare…" the plushie stuttered.

"What's wrong, lady-killer? I thought you said it'd be good to live a little?" Ichigo replied with a sardonic smile.

Suddenly, a knock came at his door. "Big brother!" Yuzu's voice called from the other side. "There's someone on the phone for you?"

"Well, well," Kon said. "It looks like you have been busy after all, huh?" The lion crossed his arms as Ichigo got off his bed. "Maybe it's about time the great and almighty romance extraordinaire Kon gave you some advise."

"Just shut up already," the teen said as he walked to his door. Kon quickly fell to the ground and pretended to be inanimate. Ichigo opened the door and saw Yuzu standing with the phone in hand. Her hand was cupped over the bottom speaker of the communication device. "Thanks, Yuzu," Ichigo said as he took the phone.

The teen walked back to his bed with Yuzu trailing close behind. The young girl scanned around, checking to see if his room needed cleaning. Her eyes stopped as she spotted Kon's cotton-filled body lying on the ground. _"Bosco?"_ she thought, confused as to why the stuffed animal would be here of all places. However, it didn't matter as long as she had her favorite toy with her.

Kon, on the other hand, was horrified by being discovered. _"Crap!"_ he thought as Yuzu approached, a smile on her face as her hand closed in on him. _"Why didn't I hide in the closet!"_ She picked up the gikongan-inhabited lion and began playing with it.

"Hello, Kurosaki residents," Ichigo said once he took his seat.

"Hey, Ichigo!" a familiar voice rang on the line.

"Tatsuki!" Ichigo replied in a little surprise. Aside from the mostly school related calls, it had been so long since the teen last heard her voice on the phone. A part of him thought that she might have lost his number. "So what's up?"

"Nothing really," Tatsuki said. "So when are you free today? I hope you didn't forget about our appointment." Ichigo became silent from the young woman's reminder. After the heavy training he had yesterday, the substitute shinigami wanted to sleep in for the day. However, he couldn't just ask Tatsuki to take a rain check. Even if he is skilled in martial arts, the last thing he wanted was for Tatsuki to ground him for blowing her off. "Hello?" Tatsuki called, sounding unsure about whether or not Ichigo was still on the line. "Is anyone there?"

"Oh yeah, I'm still here," Ichigo quickly responded. "I'll come by your place in about an hour, alright?"

"Sounds good to me," the girl responded. "I'll see you then."

"Okay, later." Ichigo hung the phone up with a press of a button.

"That was Tatsuki, right?" Yuzu asked her brother. Ichigo turned to the little girl and saw her busy pulling and tugging at Kon. The stuffed animal had a pained expression on his face, but was trying his best to keep his true identity from being discovered. Seeing his agony, Ichigo couldn't help but take some pleasure inside. "What was that all about?"

"Oh, it was nothing," Ichigo said. "I'll just be hanging out with her for a bit."

"Really? I didn't think you two were dating?" Yuzu asked innocently.

"What! N-No, not like that!" Ichigo stammered from his little sister's accusation. "It's just two old friends killing some time? W-Why would you think I'm having a date?" The teen chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "What do you think I'm doing when I'm out with Keigo, Mizuiro, or Chad?"

"Well you have a point… I guess it was a misunderstanding," Yuzu said with a cheery smile, all while squeezing the life out of Kon against her chest.

A sweatdrop fell on the side of his head from the display. He wasn't entirely sure if Yuzu understood that it was only a small get-together. After all, she was still innocent and quite impressionable. _"God, I hope my dad didn't put too much crap in her head,"_ he thought with some concern. "That's great… I guess…" he said in an uncertain tone.

"Um, Ichigo. Why is Bosco in your room?"

"Bosco?" Ichigo asked. He then realized that the young girl was referring to Kon by his given pet name. "Oh right. Well, you accidentally left him here a while ago when you last came here."

"I did?" Yuzu asked as she tried to remember the event.

"It was so long and you dropped him without thinking," Ichigo replied.

"Oh, I guess I did. You don't mind if I take him back, do you?"

Ichigo turned his attention to Kon, whose face was plastered in fear. The gikongan was silently pleading for his shinigami comrade to help him out of the predicament. However, the possessed stuffed animal's pleas for mercy were ignored by the wrathful strawberry. "Not at all," the teen responded with a slick smile as he saw it as punishment for earlier.

"_Damn you, Ichigo!"_ Kon mentally yelled. _"You evil strawberry bastard!"_

"Oh thank you, Ichigo!" Yuzu called out graciously. The girl embraced the little lion in a vice-like hug and ran out of the room. "Come on, Bosco! Let's go have a tea party!" she said in the hall before she entered her room.

"_Have fun, you two,"_ Ichigo thought coldly as he stood up from his bed and closed the door. Twenty minutes passed since Yuzu's visit and a fully dressed Ichigo left the room. With his '96' t-shirt and green pants, he went downstairs and to the front door. He also put on some of the 'scentless' cologne before he left his domain. "I'm leaving," he called out, slipping his feet into his sneakers.

"Not on my watch, son!" Isshin shouted as he fast approached his son from behind.

However, Ichigo only rose his foot off the ground until his father's face collided with his sneaker's out-sole. Isshin was promptly knocked out by the time he was done walking into the teen's track. Ichigo didn't turn back, let alone bat an eye from his unconscious parent. "As I said, I'm going out. I'll be back by daybreak."

"Yeah, sure," Karin said as she sat on a nearby chair drinking her juice. The raven-haired girl rested her feet on her fallen father. "I'll tell Yuzu that you left."

"Thanks, Karin," Ichigo said as he left the house.

* * *

Once he left his house, the young man walked down the street and took a right turn on the next intersection. After passing a couple of houses, Ichigo stopped at the front of a two-story home. A small sigh escaped the strawberry-haired teen's lips as he looked the residence over, reminiscing over the past when he used to visit her home and play whatever games she had. _"It's funny,"_ he thought. _"I haven't been to her house in almost three years. Yet, it still feels like it's my first time."_ Ichigo then decided to shake those thoughts from his mind. _"It doesn't matter. Maybe I can stop by later on."_

Without further to do, Ichigo opened the small gate and walked over to the door and rang the bell. A loud chime echoed through the inside of the home. "Be right there in a second," Tatsuki's voice called from the house. Ichigo stood with arms folded as the sounds of footsteps quickly came. The locks on the door were undone before it opened. On the other side of the doorway stood Tatsuki wearing green camouflage pants, a black shirt with a yellow star just below the neck, and a white jacket. "Well, look who showed up," the raven-haired young woman said.

"So, are you ready to go?" Ichigo asked.

"Of course I am," Tatsuki said as she closed the door and locked it behind her. "So where to first?"

"Why are you asking me?" Ichigo replied as he closed his eyes in thought. "I figured you had the day planned seeing this was your idea."

"Geez, you're such an idiot sometimes," Tatsuki replied as she shook her head. "Alright, why don't we go to the arcade. Unless you're afraid I'll whoop your ass again."

"Heh. Don't count on that happening," Ichigo scoffed.

Tatsuki gave a light chuckle, confident that she could beat the young man. She ran down the path and past the gate. "Come on! Think you can beat me to the bus stop?"

"You know I can!" Ichigo called as he ran to catch up with her. For the next four blocks, the two teens raced each other to the bus stop. Even though Tatsuki had the early lead, Ichigo was able to pass her. Tatsuki couldn't believe that he managed to do so with relative ease. A small smirk came on her face as she realized that Ichigo had once again beat her at something that would've been difficult to do a long time ago.

A few minutes had passed since the two arrived at the bus stop. Aside from a few pigeons, there was no one else there. Sitting on the bench, the two panted heavily as they tried catching their breaths. "Not bad, Ichigo," Tatsuki admitted. "You actually beat me in a race."

"Are you so surprised?" Ichigo asked. "This isn't the first time I've won."

"Oh please," the raven-haired fighter shot back. "You couldn't beat me when you tried."

"I couldn't beat you because you would always cheat, you mean," the strawberry-haired teen muttered.

"What was that?" Tatsuki asked in a warning tone and shrewd eyes.

Ichigo let out a small chortle, his face turning away to hide his small laugh. "Nothing," he replied. He then glanced down the street and saw the bus coming toward them. Both individuals stood up and dug in their pockets for bus fare. Once the large vehicle stopped in front of them, Ichigo and Tatsuki stepped inside and paid for their ride before taking a seat near the bus' back door.

* * *

A half hour passed and the two arrived in the shopping district of nearby Karakura Konso to the north. Known for its multiple stores and small shops, this was a well known area where people went for necessities or simply to hang out. "I hear that they have demos for the new Marvel vs. Capcom game," Tatsuki said as she led Ichigo to their destination. "I can't wait to play it!" However, Ichigo didn't respond to the girl's joy. Tatsuki turned around to see what was going on and saw Ichigo standing in front of a dojo called Furin Hall.

He knew all about this place. This was where Tatsuki was training in karate ever since she was a little girl and is currently the top student. It was also where Ichigo used to attend when he was a little boy. As he gazed through the windows of the closed gym, the teen remembered a practice match between himself and Tatsuki when they were both 4 years old. He tried to defeat her, but the young girl managed to win in less than 10 seconds. After the match, the young Ichigo cried loudly from his loss and the pain. However, that was before his mother came and comforted him. _"Those were the days…"_ he thought as he watched the scene from his memories.

Seeing Ichigo in such deep thought, Tatsuki knew what was on his mind. The young man was still not over his mother's death and a place like this was filled with memories. _"Ichigo…"_ she thought with a sigh before walking to his side. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?" she asked.

Ichigo turned to Tatsuki and saw her also looking through the glass. "Sorry about that," the strawberry-haired teen replied as he resumed walking. Tatsuki turned to the taller male, feeling guilty for interrupting his reminiscing. She felt that it was her who should apologize for bringing him here. "Come on. Let's go try that game before a big line grows."

"Right…" Tatsuki said. She turned back to the dojo one last time before catching up with him.

* * *

The two teens continued down the street, taking in the sights of nearby stores. Sales and items were on display behind windows while a few vendors advertised their own products in carts. A few of these deals even caught Ichigo's attention. However, he made a mental note to return on a later date when he had the money on him.

It wasn't long until the two made it to the arcade building at the center of the area. The loud sounds of electronic products and laughter could be heard just outside the entrance. Not wanting to waste any time, the two high schoolers entered the shop and found the demo for Marvel vs. Capcom 3. "There it is," Ichigo said as he watched the fight on a screen stationed above the players. "Not bad in the graphics department."

"So who are you gonna play as?" Tatsuki asked him.

"Like I'm gonna tell you," the strawberry-haired shinigami said. "The last time I did that, you wiped the floor with me by using crap that counters my moves!"

"It's not my fault you like to blab your strategy," Tatsuki replied. "Not that it matters considering you mostly suck at this type of game."

"I do not!" Ichigo retorted. Tatsuki only turned away with a smirk as she got a rise from her friend.

After the match with the previous players had ended, both Tatsuki and Ichigo walked up to the consoles. Grabbing the joystick and placing their hands on the buttons, the two selected their three-man teams. Ichigo had selected Dante, Deadpool, and Amaterasu while Tatsuki chose Ryu, Hulk, and Super-Skrull. "You really think you'll win with those guys?" Tatsuki asked. "You really haven't been playing these kind of games long. I could beat you with the Hulk alone."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't cry on me when I beat you." Ichigo replied.

Tatsuki scoffed. "Like that's going to happen." The match started and the two players fought intensely during the battle. Tatsuki's team was quite challenging considering that they had sheer power on their side. However, Ichigo had the advantage when it came to combo deliveries and speed. As they played, Ichigo began to see the fight as a simulation of his many battles. How he would have to rely on his skill and agility against threats that came at full force. As the fight raged on, a crowd of people were gathering behind them and watched in amazement as the two went at it. The customers (and even a couple staff members) began taking sides and cheering for whichever player they felt had the edge.

Tatsuki, was surprised that Ichigo had managed to survive after the first few minutes. Usually, she would have already killed him off (virtually speaking, of course) after three minutes with all team members surviving. Instead, she was only able to wipe out Amaterasu while her advesary had taken out Ryu and Super-Skrull. However, she still had the Hulk, a known bruiser and her last resort at full strength while Ichigo was using Dante. Ichigo's long-ranged tactics were enough to keep her distanced. However, she managed to pull off a special attack which took out a large chunk of the demon hunter's health before finishing off with a quick yet strong attack.

"Do you give up?" Tatsuki asked. She was confident that she could beat Ichigo, even if her character's health was in half. Still, there was nothing wrong with giving Ichigo a chance to back out from a defeat.

"Like hell I will!" Ichigo replied as Deadpool jumped on the screen. "What about you?"

"Tatsuki smash!" the raven-haired girl replied as she used a strong technique. However, the attack missed as Ichigo used Deadpool's teleport move to evade the strike. The red-and-black clad mercenary then appeared behind the green behemoth, punching and kicking multiple times before being tossed in the air with a shoryuken. However, Tatsuki quickly recovered and used Hulk's aerial attack to create distance. Ichigo retaliated by tossing Deadpool's grenade toward his foe, causing an explosion that sent the enemy airborne again. He then increased the pressure by firing at the larger character with a small flurry of bullets. "I'm not done yet!" Tatsuki said as she made Hulk run toward Deadpool in an attempt to use another quick attack.

"It's over!" Ichigo replied as he used Deadpool's hyper combo. With the massive damage brought on by the numerous hits, Tatsuki's remaining member fell and for the first time, she had been beaten by Ichigo. "I told you I'd win," Ichigo replied as the two of them left the booth.

"Ichigo… I…" Tatsuki was speechless. In all the times the two played against each other, never did he ever beat her in a video game. "Where did you learn to play like this?" she asked.

"Well, I've been playing Tatsunoko vs. Capcom for a while now and the gameplay is more or less the same," the strawberry-haired teen explained calmly. "I guess all that practice paid off."

"Right… That makes sense," Tatsuki said as she began putting on a smile. Ichigo raised an eyebrow in confusion. To him, the karate pupil seemed troubled for some reason. He was about to ask what was wrong before the girl said, "Why don't we go to the river? You know, where we used to hang out."

"Alright," Ichigo said with a nod before the two left the arcade.

* * *

The teen duo headed headed back to the bus stop once they left the game center. From there, they headed east to the grassy shoreline of the Karasu River. For about a couple hours, the two sat down on the soft grass near the bank and relaxed as the currents gently flow down the waterway. The bold orange light of the sun danced on the river body's surface. Ichigo laid back as he took in the fresh air. _"Just like old times,"_ he thought as he looked back about when he and Tatsuki would come here after karate practice.

Meanwhile, Tatsuki sat with her legs folded against her chest and a glum expression on her face. The black-haired girl was still thinking about her loss at the arcade. It wasn't so much that she lost the match. It was the fact that Ichigo won that troubled her. Whenever he beat her at anything, it would be the last time they competed in that activity.

She glanced up at the sky, remembering the past when they were virtually inseparable. Though everything changed since the death of Ichigo's mother. While she wouldn't admit it, Tatsuki felt that she and Ichigo were getting further apart over time. Especially since they've only seen each other sparsely between sixth grade to high school. And even then, their interactions were a rarity. _"If this keeps up, we're gonna be back to acquaintances,"_ the black-haired girl joked, though still feeling it may be a sad reality.

"Is something wrong, Tatsuki?" asked Ichigo. Tatsuki quickly turned to face her strawberry-haired comrade, who watched her with a quixotic gaze. She had been so quiet ever since they left the arcade. "Are you still upset about me beating you?"

Tatsuki turned away, letting out a small chortle. "Don't flatter yourself," she snorted. "It's just… You and I…"

"You and I… What?" the young male asked, wondering what was on her mind.

Tatsuki wanted to tell Ichigo what she was thinking. A part of her wanted to know where both her and the him stood in their relationship. As she was about to speak, the raven-haired girl was interrupted by someone shouting, "I knew it was you! You strawberry bastard!" The two teens turned their attention to the sidewalk and saw six young men standing nearby. "It's been a while, you son of a bitch!" replied the tall leader in front. He had tanned skin and black clothes with a dress shirt striped in lavender and black. His hair was fashioned in dreadlocks, sunglasses with rectangular lenses, and a gold chain connecting his left nose ring and left earring.

"You know this guy, Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked as she felt a bad vibe from him.

"Honestly… I have no clue," Ichigo said nonchalantly as he scratched the side of his face.

The man and his cohorts fell to the ground from the shinigami's announcement. At the same time, Tatsuki merely sighed. _"I shouldn't be surprised. This dumbass is always getting himself in trouble."_

"How dare you snub me like that!" the man said as he recovered. "I am Yokochini! My men and I are ready to get payback for what you did to us!"

"That's right!" replied one of the leader's friends behind him. "No one disrespects Weasel and gets away with it!"

"What the hell did I tell you!" Yokochini replied. "Stop calling me that name out in public! You're only supposed to call me Boss! You got that!"

"Yeah, sure Wea- I mean, Boss!" the friend replied.

"Oh, now I remember," Ichigo replied as he stood up from the grass. Tatsuki soon followed, still keeping her eyes on the new arrivals. "You were that gang who was messing with Chad a while ago."

"Wait," Tatsuki replied. "You and Chad?"

"Kinda," the orange-haired teen responded. "But I could've sworn I put them all in the hospital."

Tatsuki shook her head. _"Like I said, this moron always gets himself in trouble,"_ she thought.

"That may have happened before!" the boss replied. "But we're back! And this time, you're the one going to the clinic!"

"That's right!"

"You tell him, Boss!"

The leader then turned to Tatsuki and examined her carefully. The raven-haired girl knew what the stranger was doing and gave and deadly glare. "Well, well. Who is this supposed to be?" he asked. "Your sister? Or maybe your girlfriend?"

"What's it to you?" Tatsuki replied fiercely. "I figured with the thing on your face, you were more into guys." Ichigo blinked a few times from the quip. He knew Tatsuki was as fearless as they came, but was still surprised by the biting remark. The posse behind the boss were also shocked that a girl would snap at their fearless leader. The tanned male quickly regained his composure. "You're quite the spunky one. I kinda like that." He then placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a squeeze. "Though there are times having too much mouth could be a bad thing, little girl."

"_Oh crap,"_ Ichigo thought as he felt sorry for the naïve young man. _"This idiot's really going to get it now."_

"I guess your right," Tatsuki said before grabbing the man's hand. "So why don't you shut up!" Before the gang leader could respond, Tatsuki yanked his fingers off her shoulders and bent them back. Yokochini screamed in agonizing pain as he was forced to the ground. By the time he was on one knee, the young man tried swinging a punch with his free hand, but the strike missed as the female fighter moved her head from the fist's path. Having enough of the yells, Tatsuki delivered a kick to the older teen's chest, sending him back a few feet.

"Holy crap!" one of the henchmen replied. "Are you alright, Boss!"

"You bitch…" Yokochini hissed as he held his possibly broken hand. "That's it! Both you and that Ichigo kid are going down!" He then turned to his men. "Get them! Make them pay!"

"Got it, Boss!" one of the henchmen replied as the five peons charged on the riverbank. Both Ichigo and Tatsuki took their offensive positions before flying at their foes with leaping kicks, taking out two of the members. Another foe tried to strike Ichigo from behind, but the strawberry-haired teen ducked from the attack, allowing Tatsuki to connect with a strong punch to his jaw. From below, Ichigo then drove an elbow into his kidney region, causing him to double over. Just then, one of the enemies ran at them with a metal baseball bat The crony swung his weapon when he was in range, but both teens sidestepped the swing.

Tatsuki was about to counter, but she was restrained from behind by an enemy. Tatsuki struggled to free herself, but the foe's grip was tight. Seeing the girl being held, the enemy with the bat closed in for another try. Tatsuki knew that one hit would cause serious injury and that she needed to be free the attack came. The karate fighter slammed the back of her head into her captor's face before kicking him in the shin. The man cried in pain from the strikes, releasing his grip in the process. Seeing her chance, the girl avoided the incoming bat, leaving the foe to take the blow. The batter was shocked by the accidental damage, leaving him open for Ichigo to kick him in the face. The fight was over and all the gang members were now writhing in pain from defeat. "Not bad, Ichigo," Tatsuki congratulated. "Looks like someone's been practicing."

"I could say the same about you," Ichigo replied.

"Well of course. I am the second strongest fighter in Japan. This was nothing."

"You don't have to tell me that."

Sitting a few feet away, Yokochini was shocked by the carnage the two high school students left in their wake. His five best men had dropped like flies while his opponents stood without a scratch. _"There's no way…"_ he thought. _"There's no way in hell this is happening!"_

"So do you want to go home?" Ichigo asked Tatsuki.

"Yeah, why not," the girl said with a shrug. "I think it's about time I got back."

"Right," Ichigo nodded.

As the two were ready to leave, Yokochini used his free hand to grab a small gravity knife from his coat pocket. The boss pulled himself off the ground and flipped out the blade. Wanting revenge for his humiliation, the foe pushed himself off the ground and charged from behind. Hearing footsteps, Tatsuki turned and saw the knife's blade heading right for her. She was unable to react as the small melee weapon came closer. "It's over!" the leader shouted, already smelling his victim's blood.

Before the leader could complete stab and celebrate his victory, his wrist was caught in a strong grip. Tatsuki was stunned by how close the knife's edge was to her face while the gang leader was shocked by the fact his attack was caught. Both followed the hand up the arm and saw that it belong to Ichigo. His amber eyes were burning in fury as he focused his pent-up rage on the enemy. With his hidden strength, the shinigami squeezed the leader's wrist tightly, giving Tatsuki the chance the take a couple steps back before the boss dropped his weapon the ground. "So you think you were gonna get away with attacking someone from behind? Especially when they were unarmed?" Ichigo asked with venomous undertones. "It's bad enough you tried such a cowardly move. But it's worse when it's to one of my best friends!"

"L-Look man," the leader pleaded, trying to put on a friendly smile. "I-I'm sorry! I really am! Please d-don't hurt me! I promise to l-leave you alone. A-Alright, Ichigo ol' b-buddy?"

Ichigo wasn't buying his act. It was clear that this man was only sorry he was caught and wouldn't hesitate to do it again. "Take him out, King!" a sadistic version of his own voice called from deep within his subconscious. It was the Inner Hollow, goading and tempting his dominant self into fulfilling the deed. "Rip open this guy's guts with his own knife! Show these losers what it means when they mess with those closest to you! Give them a heaping serving of real hell!" Taking the voice's heed, Ichigo kicked the downed knife into the air and caught it with his other hand. The group boss' eyes darted between the weapon and the murderous intent on Ichigo's face. He knew his fate now rested in the vizard's hands. The strawberry-haired teen wanted to make him pay. Deep in his soul, he could sense his other half's excitement, pushing him to take revenge.

Before Ichigo could decide, he heard Tatsuki call out to him. "Ichigo…" she said gently as her hands rested on the taller male's arm. He turned to the raven-haired girl who was concerned over what her childhood friend would do. She had never seen Ichigo so incensed before. True, she knew he was very protective and loyal, but he had never been so threatening or… vicious before. As she gazed at her the teen's eyes, she could've sworn that his irises were gaining a gold tint to them.

"Do it, King! Let him have it!" the Inner Hollow shouted.

Ichigo lightly shook his head and reevaluated the situation. He saw that while Tatsuki was anxious, she was unharmed from the ordeal. He closed his eyes and mentally gathered himself. With a small breath, the strawberry-haired teen calmed down. He turned to the leader, who was sweating bullets from the threat of laceration. "Don't kid yourself," Ichigo said to Yokochini. "You're not worth the mess." Deciding to put everyone at ease, Ichigo tossed the dagger into the river where it began drifting downstream. Seeing the teen's choice, Tatsuki blew a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank god!" the leader said. "Hey, sorry about that! I promise never, and I mean never, to bother you or your-"

"Just shut up!" Annoyed by the boss and the time he wasted on him, Ichigo punched the man square in his face. The gang boss' body dropped to the ground like a corpse. He was still alive, but the blow was more than enough to knock him out for some time. He then turned back to Tatsuki, rubbing the soreness he received from the strike. "Are you okay, Tatsuki?" he asked. "You didn't get cut, did you?"

"I'm alright, Ichigo," she said. "You stopped him before anything serious happened."

"Oh, good." Tatsuki inspected Ichigo's face again. Though he still had a scowl, it seemed more normal with little to no hate in them. The girl was more at ease knowing that the incident was over. "What? Is there something on my face?" he asked.

"Aside from that dumb grimace of yours? No." Ichigo cocked his brow as he wondered why she was checking his face when there was nothing there. "Well, let's get back home, Ichigo."

"Sure. Whatever." Ichigo clasped his hand together and began making his way to the bus stop. Tatsuki followed in toe, pulling out her phone to let her parents know that she would return shortly.

* * *

After returning to the bus stop and being driven back to their home district, the two teens took a silent walk down a few blocks. By the time they reached Tatsuki's home, it was already past four o'clock. Tatsuki stretched her back and turned to her friend. "Hey, thanks for spending the day with me," she said with a smile. "I had a really good time blowing off some steam."

"No big deal," the strawberry-haired male replied. "It gave me some time to relax also."

Tatsuki gave a nod and began to take a few steps forward. However, she stopped in the middle of the path, her head held low. Ichigo rose an eyebrow as he wondered what was on the girl's mind. The black-haired fighter thought back on the thoughts she wanted to share with Ichigo at the riverbank. How she feared that the two of them were growing apart and that he would eventually forget of their times together.

However, that was before Tatsuki saw how far Ichigo was willing to go for her. He called her his best friend and was willing to protect her just as much as she would for him. While they weren't as close-knit as they might have been, she knew that when things were grim, they would always have each other's backs. Tatsuki turned back around and walked back to the standing teen. Ichigo rose an eyebrow, wondering what was on the girl's mind. However, he didn't count on the smaller fighter resting her head against his chest. "T-Tatsuki…" he replied, speechless by the girl's actions.

"Don't change too much," Tatsuki said calmly. Ichigo regained his composure and instinctively rested a hand on the young woman's shoulder. The two stood like this for a few minutes, though for Tatsuki, it felt like hours. She then noticed a strange, yet familiar smell from the young male's body. However, she didn't mind the scent. All she cared about was that this moment would last forever.

* * *

Author's Note 2: Well, there you have it. Another chapter down and... more to go. And now for the many fans out there. Thank you all for the support and reviews. I know I've said this before, but I still can't believe how successful this tale. Anyway, I just want to address the people that are asking about the inclusion of female hollow characters. To answer your question, I have been thinking of adding the arrancar later on in the story. However, I'm still trying to figure out how to work them in the storyline (or even if it's possible). But never fear, for I never disappoint. Anyway, so long my great readers and be on the lookout for the next chapter coming soon.


	6. Chapter 6: The Nightmare Before

Author's Note 1: Finally, the sixth chapter has finally been made. Sorry if it seems a bit fast, but I'll make it up to you with the next chapter coming soon. Anyway, please enjoy the read and do review!

* * *

**Ch. 6: The Night Before**

As Ichigo and Tatsuki shared their intimate moment, the two teens were unaware that they were being watched from above. Hovering over them was a small ball with an antennae sticking from the side and a camera aimed directly at them. The airborne contraption adjusted its lens, focusing its image that was being transmitted back to its owner. During this time, Kisuke Urahara was busy watching the live feed from his surveillance instrument in the comfort of his lab on a large computer monitor. The storekeeper sat leisurely in his chair and sucked on a large lollipop as he watched the two teens. _"Well, this wasn't what I was expecting,"_ he thought with a smile. _"Ichigo, you sly dog, you!"_

The shopkeeper minimized the camera's video link and began recording his findings. The ex-captain analyzed the charts and gauges that measured Ichigo's spiritual energy. "That's strange," Kisuke thought out loud as he read the scan. It wasn't uncommon for Ichigo to have abnormally high spiritual energy. To him, that was a natural occurrence and wasn't too much of an issue. However, the readings that he was receiving made the hat-and-clogs wearer arch a brow. _"This can't be right. The level being here is usually seen in shinigami not wearing gigai."_

Wanting to better understand the phenomenon, Kisuke set the camera's video link to detect spiritual pressure (similar to thermal imaging which the ex-captain coined 'infrablue view'). When he changed the view, he saw that the substitute shinigami's reiryoku was leaking from his body than usual. While it was true that Ichigo's spiritual pressure would always seep due to low reiryoku control, his human body was supposed to naturally harness the excess energy (similar to the shopkeeper's gigais). Instead, it appeared the teen was exuding more energy than usual.

He then noticed something else about Ichigo's spiritual energy. Upon closer inspection, the released energy was being absorbed into Tatsuki's body. Not only that, but the energy seemed to have been augmented somehow. "What's all of this stuff?" Kisuke questioned as he further studied the teen's reiryoku. Not only did it appear that Ichigo's power grew, but it seemed there were a few chemicals, both organic and otherwise, bonded to his energy. _"Wait, those seem to be… pheromones? And what's all this other junk?"_ After a moment of contemplating, the blonde-haired man realized what he was seeing. "Oh, I get it now!" the inventor exclaimed as he lightly palmed his forehead and leaned on the back of his chair. "That's the formula I had Renji give Ichigo a few days ago."

A wide smile grew on Kisuke's face as he took note of his invention's effects. The bonding and mixing of the cologne with his body's pheromones and spiritual energy, the profuse blushing on Tatsuki's cheeks, the intense scent that she must be smelling, and the two teen's intense behavior. Kisuke pulled out a fan from his sleeve and began waving it in front of his face. "I believe that you have proven my little bottle a success," he said with content as a small chortle escaped his lips. Truth be told, not even he knew the performance of the product he made. What he was witnessing had exceeded the ex-captain's expectations. "Ichigo, you just showed me that I may have created the first ever love potion." With this realization in mind, Kisuke took this moment to celebrate by spinning around in his chair, giggling from his findings and the fact the his guinea pig was none the wiser.

* * *

After a long day of spending time with Tatsuki, Ichigo soon returned to his home. The young male fought against his father's attack and ate his dinner with the rest of the family before going upstairs and into his room. The strawberry-haired teen pulled out his school work and began studying the information to prepare himself for tomorrow. However, he was unable to stay focus on the book as the only thing on his mind was what happened between him and Tatsuki a few hours ago.

_"What was that about?"_ Ichigo wondered as he sat back and folded his arms. _"I've never seen Tatsuki act like that. It was kinda strange. I hope she's alright."_ As he reminisced about what occurred between him and her, the teen turned to his window, gazing at the outside world. _"But it felt… I don't know… good for some reason. Like it was supposed to happen. What could that mean?"_ As Ichigo thought over the situation, he began to realize something that he felt was an impossibility. That after all these years, he was starting to feel attraction toward her. Knowing this, Ichigo shook his head in a foolhardy attempt to erase such thoughts. _"No way! That can't be it!"_ he mindfully denied as a blush unknowingly crept on his face. _"I mean, Tatsuki's one of my best friends! And while I care about her, it's nothing like that! We must've been caught up in the moment! That's all it was!" _Ichigo let out a sigh as he rubbed his temples. He thought spending time with Tatsuki would alleviate the stress before school, not add on to it.

The teen decided to push these private feelings aside. Thinking about his afternoon, he couldn't help but remember the incident at the river. He was not oblivious to his inner hollow's sudden appearance. The chorus of the being's psychotic laughter echoed in his head like a bad memory. A chill traveled down his spine as he remembered the hollow's strong killing intent trying to control him. He was so close to giving into his rage, so close to killing another human being in vengeance._ "There's no way that should have happened,"_ the substitute shinigami thought._ "I've had that thing under control." _The orange-haired teen rested his forehead on the palm of his hand. _"If it had taken over, not only would I have killed that guy, but Tatsuki…"_ Ichigo didn't want to imagine the unfortunate consequences that would have befallen his childhood comrade. He knew that for his inner hollow, friend and foe were both fair game in his murderous plans. _"At least it didn't come to that,"_ the teen thought thankfully. _"But now this means I really need to train harder than ever. I can't risk having that thing return."_ A determined expression formed on Ichigo's face as he closed his book and stepped toward his window. _"I'm not going to let that happen. I'd rather train myself to death than let that bastard take over."_ Ichigo grabbed his soul badge from his desk and pressed it against his chest. The teen stood in his shinigami form as his corporeal body fell onto the bed in front of him. "Time for me to go," Ichigo said as he wrapped his hand around Zangetsu's hilt before he flew out his window to search for hollows to slay.

* * *

It was midnight and Ichigo laid fast asleep. His shift as a shinigami had ended some time ago and the teen was able to defeat about a dozen hollows and konso three spirits. For him, he made a rather good haul and deserved his time to rest. As the substitute shinigami slept in his abode, a garganta portal began to appear over a tall antennae in the Kitakawase district. Like a zipper of a coat, the distortion opened over the spire displaying a torrent of dark chaotic energy.

Suddenly, a figure shot out from the rift and landed on the tip of the antennae before the Garganta sealed closed. It appeared to be a young male with blood red eyes and robes that had a similar design of shinigami's shihakusho (though the hakama and kosode were red while the shitagi underneath was black). He stood on his perch and scanned the city as his robes blew in the wind. "So this is Karakura Town, a.k.a. the new juriechi," he thought out loud. The male inhaled, taking in the fresh air of the new town and whatever spiritual energy floated in the air. "Not bad for a podunk place like this. The concentration is at the highest it's been in recent memory. It might be larger than the last one." Knowing this, the shinigami cracked a smile.

"_Such energy. Such life. Such a delicacy,"_ a malevolent thought came to his head. _"Forget the sample. I want the whole damn meal! We've been dining on hollow for so long, I almost forgot what pure, untainted human soul tatses like. Though a hint of spiritual energy does give it more flavor…"_

"Restrain yourself… Or rather, myself," the shinigami replied as he placed a palm on his forehead. "Besides, a true connoisseur knows it's best to savor a meal than hastily gorge on it."

"_Yeah, yeah. Whatever,"_ the inner voice replied.

"Speaking of hollows, whatever happened to those beasts that were sent a few days ago?" the shinigami wondered as he cupped his chin in thought.

_"Maybe they had their fill and returned to Hueco Mundo on their own,"_ the voice answered.

"Perhaps. Though it is possible that they ran into some interference."

_"Yeah, right. Even if they did, that was almost a small army you sent. If someone was dumb enough to tangle with that mob, they would've been chow then and there."_

"In normal circumstances. But knowing where we are, the Soul Society would throw conventional tactics out the window in order to secure their foothold here." The shinigami concentrated on the multiple spiritual points around the city. At that moment, long reiraku appeared around the young man, swinging wildly in the breeze like reeds in a field. Most of the ribbons were white in color. However, he noticed two of the threads were red. "So there are shinigami in the town."

"'_There are shinigami', eh?"_ the voice asked. _"You're implying more than one. How rare."_

"Perhaps." He glanced at the two red ribbons and felt a staggering difference of power between them. The strongest of them had a strange feel to it. Curious by the odd thread, the stranger grasped it to feel the spiritual energy. "Unlike the other one, the owner of this ribbon isn't a run-of-the-mill shinigami."

_"You're right. It feels like a strange mixture of shinigami and human, but with the hint of something else… Hollow? No way…"_

"That answers our question of the lost hunting party." The drifting warrior smirked at the discovery. Wanting to remember the energy to track for later, the shinigami grabbed the ribbon with both hands and ripped off a small section.

* * *

At that instant, Ichigo quickly shot up from his deep sleep, his face covered in sweat. He glanced around his surroundings, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. There was no spiritual pressure nearby that was cause for alarm. Though the strawberry-haired teen felt uneasy, he quickly calmed himself down. "It must've been nothing," he dismissed his worry. The boy turned to the desk and glanced at his badge and saw it was still dormant. "If it were anything, my badge would've went off by now." With a yawn, the teen laid back down on his pillow and quickly allowed sleep to overtake him.

* * *

Back at the Kitakawase antennae, the shinigami watched as his prize blew in the wind. He knew that he literally had the life of his next target in the palm of his hand. "It's clear that this soul surpasses the normal parameters of most other spirits. Almost reminds me of someone…"

"_How humble of you. Look, all I know is it's gonna be quite the treat! I can't wait to gorge on this one!"_

"Patience. I still want to survey this town and study this target. Then we shall begin our conquest of conquering, consuming, and counterinsurgency."

_"Right. All I'm hearing from you is that you want to bide time,"_ the inner voice responded. _"That has always been your problem. You never go full force right away. Funny how you're calling me a glutton, but here you are playing with our food. Makes me wonder which of us is more sadistic."_

"What can I say? I'm studious by nature. If things were different and I was of the living, I could've been a newscaster."

_"Right. Whatever you say, Christine Chubbuck."_

The shinigami groaned, a scowl of annoyance wrinkling his face. Suddenly, the drifter became alert as he felt an on-coming presence just south-west of his location. Not wanting to drag any attention, the shinigami lowered his spiritual pressure to near unnoticeable levels, the ribbons surrounding his body vanished. "This night just keeps getting more and more interesting," he mused.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the bank of the Onose River in Karakura Honchou, a Senkaimon appeared. It's dual doors slid open, revealing a bright white light shining from the other side. A Hell Butterfly fluttered through the opened passageway as it escorted its entourage, Nemu Kurotsuchi, to the Human World. Once she arrived, the Senkaimon closed behind her and disappeared. _"It appears I have arrived at the registered co-ordinates,"_ she thought analytically.

It's been two days since her last venture to the world of the living. After delivering the notes she took to her captain, the young woman was given permission (or rather an aggressive order) to return to the town for more reconnaissance. The purple-haired woman turned around and faced the direction of Ichigo's spiritual pressure. A smile formed on her face as she felt the familiar energy of the young boy from such a distance. It was clear from the intense blush on her cheeks that she was still feeling a strong attraction toward the male shinigami and was hoping to further her study on both Ichigo and her fascination with him. _"I have returned once more, Master Kurosaki,"_ she thought. _"Perhaps I shall have more success during this venture."

* * *

_

_"More shinigami have come!"_ the dual-psyched man's inner voice replied, its tone more annoyed than anything else. _"How in the hell did these bastards find us so quickly? Or did we stumble on the Gotei 13's answer to Cancun?"_

"Since we just arrived from the Garganta gate, it's less than likely the Soul Society knows of our presence." The shinigami then glanced at Ichigo's ribbon piece. "I believe that our friend here is the star of this little show. If the Soul Society has the spotlight on him…"

_"Then the big man has him in center frame,"_ concluded the inner voice.

"Yes," the shinigami agreed slyly as he stuffed Ichigo's ribbon in his pocket. "Now to study this new area closely."

_"About time! Let's hurry up and find the prime haunts. I can't wait to try my first soul from here!"_ The shinigami groaned at his secondary persona's impatience. Ready to set his plans in action, the spirit vanished from the antennae without a trace.

* * *

The next day, Ichigo awoke from his sleep well rested. He stretched his arms and back, loosening his body for the new day's advent. _"Great, another week of school,"_ the teen thought as he pushed himself out of bed. _"Good thing I managed to read enough stuff after I came back from fighting hollows."_ The teen grabbed the books and papers that were on his desk and stuffed them in his backpack.

As the young male walked to the door, he saw the knob begin to turn. Out of instinct and experience, Ichigo sidestepped the entrance as Isshin barged into his room. "Rise and shine, my son!" he shouted as he flew into the room and landed on his eldest son's bed. Hearing no screams of pain and anger, the goat-chinned man glanced down on the furniture and saw that there was no one there. "Ichigo?" he called in confusion.

"Give it a rest, you crazy old man!" Ichigo said as he jump kicked his father in the back.

Isshin screamed as the force of his son's attack sent him flying out the window and crashing to the ground two stories below. Ichigo poked his head out of his window and saw his father laying face first into the dirt. "I can't believe my own son would attack me from behind!" he wailed. "I thought I raised you better than such cowardly acts like that!"

"This coming from the man who blitzes into his kid's room every damn morning!" Ichigo retorted. "How many times have I said stop barging in and attacking me, dumbass!" Not wanting to hear anymore of his father's excuses, Ichigo slammed his window shut and made sure to lock it for good measure. _"Just one morning where that idiot doesn't try beating me. That's all I ask,"_ the substitute shinigami mentally prayed, though knowing such a reality would not come to pass.

Ichigo shook his head, clearing his mind of the events that happened in the last few minutes. He then glanced at the clock on his desk. _"I have plenty of time to take a shower before I head to school,"_ he thought. The teen went to his closet and grabbed his school uniform. Before he left, Ichigo backtracked to his desk and grabbed his cologne. He glanced at the bottle, then at the open door to make sure he was alone. _"I guess it wouldn't hurt,"_ the young shinigami figured as he hid the cologne bottle in his clothes and left for the bathroom to take his shower.

A half an hour had passed until Ichigo left the bathroom. The teen finished bathing and was dressed in his school ensemble. He also sprayed the cologne after he had finished his shower. The teen returned to his room and hid his cologne bottle before grabbing his backpack and going downstairs. He joined his sisters and father for breakfast. Once more, his dad tried to attack him at the table in retribution for his failed attempt earlier. However, after a short scuffle and a table chair to the head, the excitement quickly died down. When he finished, the teen said his good-byes to his family and left for school.


	7. Chapter 7: Young Dr Kurosaki

Author's Note 1: Hey everybody. Sorry for the late update. As usual, I've been busy with my studies. Math is a real killer. Anyway, here it is, the seventh chapter. And as a bonus, I submitted it on my 21st birthday. I hope all of you guys like this gift from me to you.

Author's Note 2: This chapter's title is based on an old medical film called "Young Dr. Kildare".

* * *

**Ch. 7: Young Dr. Kurosaki**

In about half an hour, Ichigo arrived at his high school. The teen walked to the second floor of the building and was once again met by a squealing Keigo. "Hey, Ichigo!" the brunette male called enthusiastically as he leaped toward the strawberry-haired male.

Ichigo rolled his eyes as a sigh escaped his lips. _"Why does everyone that annoys me never seem to learn?"_ the substitute shinigami pondered as he simply stretched his arm out, his fist already balled. Unable to stop, the brown-haired teen once more collided with the still punch and slumped to the ground.

"Ow ow ow ow!" Keigo repeated in agony as he held the front of his face while rolling on the ground. "Why do you always have to do that!"

"Must be a reflex," Ichigo responded nonchalantly as walked to the doorway of his class. Before he could enter, the tall teen was met by Mizuiro, who came to investigate the noise. "Hey, Mizuiro," the taller teen replied.

"Hi, Ichigo," the raven-haired male said. He then glanced at his Keigo, who was still on the floor wailing. Mizuiro sighed as he knew all too well what the cause was. "You really need to stop doing that, Mr. Asano," he advised his friend.

"Would you stop acting all polite like that!" Keigo hollered at his friend. "Just help me up would you!" Mizuiro only sighed

The strawberry-haired teen shook his head, annoyed by the smaller brunette's antics. Wanting to escape the annoying scene, Ichigo shook his head and walked into class. As usual, he took his seat near the back of the class and pulled out his books. Once his work was out of his bag, the teen glanced out of the window. "Good morning, Ichigo," a voice called to him.

The strawberry-haired male turned to the speaker and saw Tatsuki standing next to him. "Hey, Tatsuki," Ichigo responded. "What's up?"

"Nothing really…" the raven-haired fighter replied as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Managed to get the last of my homework finished. How about you?"

"Yeah, I finished it all last night."

"That's good to hear," Tatsuki said as she forced a smile on her face. "I'm sure you'll do good on the quiz tomorrow."

"Same to you," Ichigo nodded.

A thick silence filled the air between them as they tried to think of how to continue their conversation. With yesterday's event still fresh in their mind, it was difficult to make small talk. Both still harbored these newly discovered, albeit strange, feelings for one another. However, they were still confused over what they meant. Wanting to break the ice, Tatsuki was the first to speak up. "About yesterday, Ichigo…" she began, grabbing the male's attention. "I'm sorry for what happened."

"Huh?" was Ichigo only response as he raised his brow toward the woman. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because… I just don't know why I did what I did… The thing is-"

Before Tatsuki could continue to explain, a high-pitched, cheerful greeting interrupted her. "Good morning, guys!" Orihime called with a bright, exuberant smile on her face. Both teens were caught off guard by Orihime's unannounced entrance.

"O-Orihime!" a surprised Tatsuki replied as she tried her best to hide her feelings behind a smile. The black-haired woman knew of the redhead's attraction toward Ichigo since the middle school. Now here she was being attracted to the guy her best friend has had her eyes on. Especially when he happens to be someone she's known since childhood. _"Dammit! How could I be so stupid!"_ she mentally cursed herself.

Orihime noticed that something was amiss. From Tatsuki's worried expression to the barely seen tint of red in cheeks, she knew that something personal happened between the two. "Did I… Did I interrupt something?" the young woman asked Tatsuki, worried about whatever situation she might have injected herself into.

"Oh! No, no! It was nothing!" Tatsuki quickly responded as she shook her hands. "Ichigo and I were… talking about that movie coming out!" A sheepish laugh escaped the raven-haired girl's lips after she told her little white lie. "It's the new one called Red. Ichigo was thinking about seeing it on the weekend. Right, Ichigo?"

Ichigo knew Tatsuki was trying to steer the conversation away from the earlier topic. The strawberry-haired male decided to take her lead. The last thing he needed was to involve Orihime in intimate matters. Ichigo complied with a nod and decided to go along with the given subject. "I liked the trailers and figured since both Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman will be in the film, I should go check it out."

"Oh. It sounds like a good movie," Orihime replied with a smile. However, intuition told the blonde that there was something more to their discussion than simply theatrical releases. The only time Tatsuki was ever caught off guard was when she was deep in thought or hiding something. Still, she knew that getting anything out of either of them at this time would probably be pointless. _"I guess I can worry about it later,"_ she decided. _"I bet it's nothing."_

"Did you finish the math assignments last night," Tatsuki asked, breaking Orihime from her thoughts.

"Of course," she said. "It wasn't too difficult."

"Only you and Uryu are the only people who would say that," Ichigo said. "The word problems were kicking my ass. It took me a while to figure out how to structure the damn equations, let alone solve them."

"Once again, reading has gotten the better of Captain Strawberry," Tatsuki quipped.

"Shut up," Ichigo replied. Both Tatsuki and Orihime snickered at the teen male's expense.

At that moment, the chime from the school bell rang through the speaker in the room, signaling the start of class. Hearing the sound, the two young women left for their seats as Ms. Ochi walked into the room. "Good morning, class," the woman greeted.

"Good morning, Ms. Ochi," many of the students replied.

"I hope you had a good weekend. And I also hope that you studied for the test for later this week."

"Oh man!" Keigo groaned out loudly as he stood from his seat. While many of the other students thought the same way, they had the self-restraint to keep the theatrics to themselves.

"Sit down, Asano," the teacher commanded sternly. The brunette male let out another distress call before taking his seat. "Alright. Now everyone pass your work to the front of the rows so we can begin class." After the students submitted their paperwork, Ms. Ochi gathered the loads from each first seat of the rows before walking to her desk and sliding them into her bag. "Alright then, let's begin," she said.

As the teacher began her lesson, Ichigo turned his attention to the window. Class may have started, but he already felt the boredom looming over him. From time to time, he would keep track of the teacher's and fellow students' pace in book, though most of the time, he merely drowned out the voices until they sounded like reverberated hums to his ears. He was more concerned with staying alert, fighting the urge of sleep in case a hollow came around.

Little did Ichigo know, Tatsuki was examining the young man from across the room. She could see his attentive vigil along with the anxious shaking from his left leg. _"Ichigo… What could possibly be on your mind?"_ she thought. _"Could it be… what happened yesterday? Or is it something else?"_ Tatsuki's head dipped as she reminisced about a strange sight a few weeks ago. When she swore that she had seen two people in black robes flying in the skies on her way home. While the moment was fleeting, she remembered that one of them had a very unique feature: messy, bold orange hair. _"Why are you keeping me in the dark about these things…?"_ she wondered.

"Ms. Arisawa!" called Ms. Ochi, snapping the karate fighter back to reality.

The young woman turned to the teacher quickly, "Yes, teacher?" she said.

"Would you read the next passage, please?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am," the Tatsuki responded. The young girl gave one more glance at Ichigo before she began reading her given passage in the book.

* * *

Meanwhile, at a construction yard a few blocks east of Karakura High, the shinigami drifter appeared at the top of the six-story structure frame. He stood on a beam with folded arms as his red robes swayed gently in the breeze. With stern eyes, the young man turned his attention toward the direction of the school, his focus pinned on Ichigo's spiritual energy. _"It's time to start our little game, child,"_ he thought, directed toward his newly found target.

"_Well about damn time,"_ the man's inner voice responded. _"You know what they say about souls. They're a dish best served cold."_

"_Really now? I prefer mine cook than raw."_

On the ground below, four large scorpion-type hollows arrived on the scene. They're bodies were hunched forward covered by a hard white exoskeleton. Their legs were heavily muscled while their arms took the form of giant shelled pincers. The masks that each creature wore were identical: wide with small eye holes with curved mandibles on each side of their sharp-toothed mouths. Each creature was armed with a long flexible tail that curved upward ending with a sharp needle of a stinger. The demons stalked and paced beneath the shinigami, waiting for instructions to be issued to them. "Listen up, you glorified spiders," the red death god called. The creatures looked up, listening to the order. "You will lure the target here from the institution and take him down. Once he has taken substantial damage, I shall finish him off."

"What makes you think we'll follow orders from a worthless shinigami like you?" one of the hollows asked. "You're lucky that we don't come up there and devour you where you stand!"

The shinigami cracked a smirk. "Do you hear what the termite said?" he asked his inner occupant.

_"Haha! What an idiot! It's sad when the a small morsel tries to act like its five-star quality."_

With a nonchalant gaze, the dual-minded spirit knelt over his perch. "Listen, we all know the real reason you and your flunkies aren't doing anything. You hollows may be Adjuchas, but you're also an observant bunch. If my abilities were what brought you here in the first place, you know there's a large chance that I can take you all out just as easily. Now friend, you have three options," he said as he raised three fingers. "You can return to the gray wasteland where I found you, you can follow my orders without question, or you can become my brunch. The choice is yours, bug."

The hollow glared daggers at the warrior above him. While the corrupt soul didn't want to admit it, the death god was correct on all counts. The hollow had never seen anything other than hollows traveling through Gargantas so easily, nor bore witness to such an immense amount of power and strength without the threat of destruction. Even though the beast knew this, he snarled in defiance. There's no way the hollow would allow a shinigami to speak to him like some lowly pest. Blinded by pride, the scorpion hollow aimed its claw directly at the spirit and prepared to fire a cero. "How about a fourth choice!" the creature roar as a red orb of energy began to glow in the pincer.

"Typical," the shinigami said nonchalantly as he lightly shook his head. "So very, pathetically typical."

Just as the hollow was ready to fire, the firing arm of the creature was disarmed as blood spilled from a large wound on the arm. The hollow staggered back, screaming in pain as his limb dangled limply. Before the demon could return to a normal posture, it stood frozen in fear as something sharp poked at its throat. The hollow's eyes trailed down in shock and fear as it saw the shinigami standing under him, his zanpakuto's blood covered edge lightly scratching his neck. _"So fast,"_ the hollow thought in disbelief.

"You allowed your insecurities to cloud your judgment and literally tried to bite the hand that wanted to feed you. Too bad for you that this hand bites back and harder to boot." the death god explained. "I tried to be charitable and kind, but it seems such gestures were unappreciated. Consider our business relationship officially over." Before the hollow could plead for mercy, the rogue warrior drove his katana through the demon's neck with a mercilessly cold smile gracing his face. All the hollow could do was watch in shock and agony as the zanpakuto began to glow. As this occurred, the hollow could feel his strength weakening and his hunger growing. After a short time, the shinigami scoffed. "That was all?" he scoffed in disappointment. "I figured you being the pack hunter had more to offer. Again, quite pathetic."

"_Put this loser out of his misery, already,"_ the inner voice said. _"If I wanted a cheap breakfast, I would've went to McDonald's instead."_ The young man swiftly swung his blade up, slicing cleanly through the arachnid-like creature's bone mask. _"So long, you punk bug,"_ chided the inner voice as the hollow's body disintegrated.

The shinigami swatted his blade to his side, flicking off whatever remaining blood from its edge. "Well now, that was a short workout," the red death god said. He then turned his attention to the three other hollows. Even though their masks were perpetually stoic, he can tell that the remaining trio were speechless by what they saw. They're fearless leader was stabbed, devoured, and annihilated in less than a minute. The soul warrior only scoffed, enjoying the fear on the creatures faces. "Alright then. Now that we've taken care of that nasty little business, I'm sure there will be no problems between us, will there? Lest you wish to join your comrade in oblivion, then I'll be all too happy to oblige."

"_Come on! Say yes!"_ the hungry inner voice insisted. _"Maybe you other three will add up to make a decent breakfast! After all, it's the most important meal of the day!"_

"Please!" One of the hollows replied. "We'll do as you ask!"

"Where did you say the guy was again?"

The shinigami crossed his arms and nodded. "And they say I couldn't be a negotiator."

"_Yes, because your social skills and friend circle makes you such the people person,"_ snidely remarked the inner voice.

* * *

A couple hours had passed since the beginning of school and Nemu was busy watching over Ichigo studiously. Hidden by the leaves and branches of the tree she hid in, the lieutenant wrote detailed notes on the substitute shinigami and the happenings in his class. Once she finished, the young woman slid her pencil in the back of the book and read over her notes, including the dialogue which took place between her subject, Tatsuki, and Orihime before the start of class.

While it would've been difficult for anyone to had understood what was said from the other side of a window, such an obstacle did not hinder the purple-haired shinigami. Between the lessons of centrifuge she learned from Sui-Feng and her own powers of observation, she was able to read body language and lips. Witnessing the conversation between the trio, Nemu was able to write down every word and detail every hint of tension and confusion that plagued them.

Nemu closed her book and slid it back into her robes. As the young woman watched the substitute, a frown formed on Nemu's face as her heart began to rapidly beat. Thoughts of what romantic events may occur with him and either girl came into mind. _"While the subject's intimacy is of no concern to my directive, I am greatly worried of such events for some reason or another,"_ she thought. _"Perhaps I should have asked Master Mayuri to extend my visitation for a longer duration."_ While it seemed Ichigo was unaware (or at the very most ignorant) of the two women's feelings toward him, Nemu felt that she had to act fast. _"I must not allow such variables to interfere with my study,"_ she thought, trying desperately to fight back a blush. It was at that moment, that the lieutenant noticed a strange spiritual pressure nearby. _"Enemy energy signatures detected!"_ she thought as she turned to the school entrance.

In the classroom, Ichigo bored trance was broken as his hollow badge blared like a siren. _"Looks like there are hollows nearby!"_ he thought as he stuffed the object in his pant pocket. _"Better get out of here."_

"Ichigo," Chad whispered from behind him. The orange-haired male turned around, seeing him, Uryu, and Orihime with determined looks on their faces. All three noticed the enemy spiritual pressure and wanted to back up their comrade.

"I got this one," he said.

"Are you sure, Ichigo?" Orihime whispered, worried about letting her crush leave her sight.

Ichigo nodded in response to the redhead's question. "I'll be alright. It could just be a false alarm."

"Is there something interesting you would like to share with the class, Mr. Kurosaki?" called Ms. Ochi as she noticed the whispered dialogue between the students.

Ichigo quickly turned to the teacher and scratched his head. "No, it's nothing like that," he said. "It's just that I need to be excused for a few minutes. My dad said he's doing something at this time and I have to make sure he doesn't look like a complete moron. You understand, right?"

Ms. Ochi sighed as she heard the teen's excuse. She had met Ichigo's father during the last evening function. The elder Kurosaki male arrived in a sake buzz, constantly hitting on her and a few of the single mothers. To her, it was no wonder Ichigo seemed so troubled with the student body and authoritative figures, though she had to applaud the teen for keeping a surprisingly level head. "Alright, you're excused. Please come back to school in one piece."

"Um, yeah. I'll do that," Ichigo said before he quickly left the room. After a few minutes, the teen arrived outside at the front of the building where he saw three slender appendages rising from the ground. They were covered in armor and white with sharp stingers at the end. Sensing the teenager's spiritual energy, the figured headed toward him quickly, the ground tearing up as their owners moved underground like sharks ripping through water.

Ichigo gritted his teeth as the enemies approached him. The teen knew that in his current state, he was easy pickings for the hollows. One of the creatures picked up speed, quickly closing the distance between the rest of the pack and the student. Ichigo quickly sidestepped from the attack as the razor sharp stinger struck and became stuck in the concrete. "I gotta hurry and change into a shinigami," he thought as he ran from the scene.

The remaining two creatures decided to split up, with one of the foes following Ichigo from behind and the other going around the other side of the school. The teen ran as quickly as he could to the trees behind the school as one of the enemies was hot on his keels. Once the creature was in range, it lashed its tail along the ground, hoping to trip Ichigo over. However, the teen leaped over the corrupt soul's attempt and rolled to the other side of a nearby tree. _"Now's my chance!"_ he thought as he pulled his soul badge from his pocket. As the teen was about to press the artifact against his chest, the tail of the third hollow erupted from the ground before him, its stinger directly targeting his forehead. "Damn it!" he spat as the living hypodermic needle flew at him. Before the tail could impale the boy, Nemu dove from the canopy above and grabbed the appendage. "Nemu!" a surprised and grateful Ichigo called.

"It is good to see you as well, Master Kurosaki," Nemu responded as she used her strength to hold the stinger at bay. "However, I advise that you use this opportunity to shift into your shinigami form," she suggested as she used her strength to keep the stinger at bay.

Regaining his composure, Ichigo nodded in compliance and pressing the badge against his body. Once his soul ejected from his corporeal state, Ichigo grabbed Zangetsu's hilt from his back and swung his blade forward. The attack sliced the tail cleanly in half, causing its owner to roar in pain. The ripped piece armed with the stinger writhed uncontrollably along the ground. Hearing the noise, its two companions quickly came to its aid and fired streams of acid from their tails. Both Ichigo and Nemu dodged from the toxic liquid, some of which hit the side of the tree and began dissolving a piece of the trunk.

Both shinigami saw the strength of the acid, Ichigo surprised to see its effect at work. "It would appear these hollows are able to produce a highly caustic compound from their tails. Had that fluid made contact, it would have resulted in severe damage," reported Nemu.

"Yeah. Thanks for the tip," Ichigo replied. "Let's focus on getting these things away from the school. Any ideas?" Before the two could contemplate a plan, one of the hollows launched another spray of acid which ate at the tree trunk. With a good portion of the trunk dissolved, the tree began to slowly tip toward the building. "Damn it!" hissed Ichigo.

Reacting quickly to the situation, Nemu shunpoed between the falling plant and the educational building. Using her strength, the purple-haired scientist caught the tree before it could make contact with the school. She turned to Ichigo, whose face was painted with concern. Wanting to put him at ease, the young woman gave a small smile. "Do not worry about me," she said in an assuring tone. "Dispense with these enemies. I have this under control."

Seeing his partner occupied and the advancing hollows, Ichigo had no choice. "Alright then," he said as he held his blade in front of him. "I'll make you bastards pay!" he shouted as he ran toward the three underground beasts. Once he reached the halfway point, the substitute shinigami jumped into the air and, with sword pointed down, landed hard on the ground and pierced the ground. A column of spiritual energy erupted from his form, tearing the ground around him and tossing the hollow invaders in the air. The three demons screamed as their bodies flew a good distance from the strike of the attack before crashing hard to the ground. However, the trio didn't stay down for long as they managed to return to their feet.

The assumed leader (whose tail was in the process of regenerating) roared at the substitute shinigami before charging at its target. Ichigo dashed toward the hollow, learning forward as he aimed to strike with an underhand swing. However, the hollow caught the teen's zanpakuto in a pincer and lunged at his head with its sharp-toothed jaws and mandibles. The shinigami moved his head back to avoid the attack before kicking the scorpion-like entity in the gut to both release his weapon and distance themselves. "Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo shouted as he slammed Zangetsu into the ground, sending a wave of energy toward the foe. Reacting quickly, the three hollows sidestepped from the signature attack. _"These things are pretty strong,"_ the swordsman thought.

After escaping their target's strike, one of the arachnid-type creatures lunged toward Ichigo with an open pincer. Seeing the attack, the teen brought his blade up in order to block the attack. Just as the hollow rose its limb to attack, Nemu flew to the rescue once more with a flying kick to the side of the enemy soul's face. The creature was sent back a dozen or so feet as the two shinigami stood back to back. "Are you injured, Master Kurosaki?" Nemu asked her crush's side while still keeping her eyes on the fiends.

"I'm fine," Ichigo responded, his stance rigid as he held his sword ahead while staying alert. "What about the tree? And the school?"

"The establishment has suffered no structural damage," the lieutenant reported. "As for the tree, I doubt the student body will notice the minor change." Ichigo glanced from the corner of his eye to see the purple-haired woman's handiwork. Ichigo was amazed to see the tree firmly situated in the ground beside its trunk (which was now reduced to a stump).

"Nice work," Ichigo replied. "Now let's take care of these guys."

"Affirmative"

As the death gods stood ready to fight, the surrounding hollows glared warily at the duo. They snarled and snorted as they analyzed their rivals. To the group leader, it was clear that these two individuals were strong. It was time to implement the next part of their scheme. "Regroup!" the leader ordered. The two other beasts roared in affirmation as they buried into the ground.

"What the-!" was Ichigo's response as he watched three trails pass them and leaving out the school. "Come on!" Ichigo said as he ran forward to give chase.

"We must be careful, Master Kurosaki," called a cautioning Nemu. The strawberry substitute stopped in his tracks as he turned to hear his comrade's warning. "These hollows are not like the usual types which frequent here. The abilities they've exhibited and the hunting strategy behind their attacks may mean we're facing Adjuchas."

"Adjuchas?"

"They're the second level of Menos-class hollows right after the giant Gillians. These are the types whose powers are on par with seated shinigami, even a captain in a few cases. If that is the case, and they're leading us into a trap, we must move with complete discretion."

"So they're that strong?" Ichigo asked. "Well then, I'll just have watch out for whatever tricks they have up their sleeves." Nemu was inwardly surprised by how calm Ichigo seemed to be. If it was another shinigami, they'd be worried or downright scared out of their wits after hearing such news. Yet here Ichigo was, standing with his massive sword resting on his shoulder and a confident glance. The teen was sure of his power and was focused on finishing his duty. And from the observations she made of the substitute shinigami, Nemu was also confident of his ability. "Come on. Let's finish this before anyone gets hurt."

"Yes, Master Kurosaki," Nemu called obediently. Ichigo made a hard sigh as he lightly shook his head before he and the lieutenant took off. As the two moved from rooftop to rooftop, Nemu was deep in thought as she tried to reason the appearance of such high level hollows. _"This shouldn't be possible,"_ the lieutenant figured. _"Adjuchas rarely leave Hueco Mundo. They stay within that realm in order to prey on fellow hollows to sustain their forms. What phenomena would cause these creatures to venture into the World of the Living? Even if it were due to the added number of hollows, it still wouldn't be enough to draw them here."_

"Is something wrong?" Ichigo's voice called, snapping Nemu out of her thoughts. The purple-haired girl looked ahead and saw the substitute shinigami's risen brow as he watched her.

"No, it's nothing," Nemu responded as she averted her attention to hide the blush on her face. "We should still be wary. The enemies may have set a trap in preparation for our oncoming arrival."

"Don't worry. I'm sure it's nothing that we can't handle."

_"So confident…"_ Nemu thought with flushed cheeks.

After a few minutes of traveling, the two shinigami arrived at the construction site. Standing near the building frame, the two stayed on their toes as they scanned the area. Though it seemed that the area was quiet, both shinigami could sense the residual hollow energy from some time ago. "This was where we last sensed them," Nemu said as she investigated the area.

"Where do you think they are now?" Ichigo asked.

"It could be possible that the combatants fled to Hueco Mundo after realizing that their nutritional needs cannot be met in the living world."

"Yeah. Of course they did," the strawberry-haired teen replied. It wasn't that he was trying to be cynical, but he didn't believe those creatures would simply call it a day.

"Judging from the hint of doubt in your voice, you share my sentiments," Nemu agreed. "My second hypothesis is that they're suppressing their spirit energy and have hidden below ground."

Resting a hand on his hip while scratching the back of his head with the other, Ichigo was trying to think of how they could flush their enemies out. The fact that they had such an unfair advantage was starting to unnerve him. Of course, the small chance that they actually escaped was also unsettling.

As the two continued their search, they were unaware of another figure watching them from within the metal frame of the unfinished building. Standing behind a beam on its second floor was the red and black clad shinigami. Like a hawk, his blood red eyes tracked their every move. However, most of his focus was on Ichigo. _"So this is the resident shinigami,"_ he thought. _"I figured him to be a little older. Then again, I'm not surprised by the desperation of the Gotei 13 anymore."_

_"Who cares!"_ the inner voice replied. _"Food is food! Besides, a soul is like the reverse of a fine wine: they younger they are, the better the quality. Especially with such high spiritual energy and variety. The cute little morsel is a lieutenant-level that would hold us over for a few months, but the boy is something entirely different! He would keep us full for years!"_

_"Yes, I can see that. All that spiritual energy being leaked is like water from a spring. That being said, he must be holding incredible energy reserves. Not just that, I can better sense the different variables of his make-up. Hollow, human, and shinigami; this one's the complete trifecta."_ The red-clad male licked his lips at the possibilities of how long the young male's energy could sate his hunger. _"A rare opportunity like this is hard to come by."_

_"So since those bugs brought us our food, why don't we start savoring the gift!"_ replied the second personality, ready to feed on the two spirits.

_"Not yet. The plan was that we have those arachnids knock them down a few notches before we go in for the kill. Why get our hands dirty when we have cronies to do it for us? Besides, I figured you loved a dinner with a show."_

_"Meh. A show's just an extra bonus."_

A smirk grew on the shinigami's face, directed as his inner comrade. _"So insatiable."_ The maverick slunk back into the shadows of the work site. Making sure he was well hidden, the depraved death god released a torrent of spiritual pressure. The exertion of the individual's great power was strong enough to bend a couple of nearby beams.

On the ground below, Nemu and Ichigo were feeling the effects of the sudden instability. The force of the energy burst was enough to force them on their hands and knees. It was as if the gravity had increased ten-fold at a fixed point. Ichigo found it difficult to breathe as he tried to push himself off the ground. "What the hell is going on!" Ichigo called as he tried fighting back against the overwhelming rush. "It's so intense! Could it be… Is it possibly…"

"Signature of spiritual pressure is undetermined." Nemu responded, trying her best to breathe. "Energy source undetected."

As the duo tried their best to fight off the energy, the tails of the hollows popped out of the ground and encircled them. The three beast swam around their adversaries, unaffected by the crushing might of their ally's spiritual pressure above. "No way… I'll let it end… like this…!" responded a defiant Ichigo. In an attempt to break free of the thick pressure, Ichigo began releasing his own spiritual power. The ground shook violently from the conflicting power reiatsu struggle.

In the shadows, the red shinigami smiled at his orange-haired target, who was now kneeling on the ground. "Not bad, kid. Seems you really are quite the spirited fellow," he congratulated.

As Ichigo continued to struggle against the unseen foe's might, Nemu was also trying her hardest to fight off the energy. However, she was quickly loosing power by the second. _"It appears that this spiritual pressure is draining my energy,"_ she thought. _"I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up. I'm sorry I couldn't be of any service, Master Kurosaki."_ The purple-haired lieutenant was on her last legs, she suddenly caught wind of a strange aroma. _"That smell… that fruit extract-based smell…"_ Taking a whiff, Nemu could feel her energy sharply rising. _"This power… it's as if I'm recovering. Yet I'm also experiencing a subtle increase in certain parameters,"_ With her newfound strength and will, Nemu slowly rose to a partially vertical base and then turned to Ichigo, who was still fighting against the strange energy pressure. _"Could this be Master Kurosaki's doing?"_ she wondered. Her expression became serious as she began to exert her newly found strength in order to help her ally.

Both shinigami groaned as they worked together to push back their unseen foe's spiritual pressure. _"Incredible,"_ the unknown shinigami mused. _"I had a feeling this strawberry character was powerful. But using his raw reiryoku to enhance his ally's power… it's almost similar, albeit a crude version, of the application behind healing kido! A reversal of the main purpose of spiritual pressure use."_

"_Hey! Less gawking, more crushing!"_ the inner voice replied, wanting to get the job done.

However, fatigue and loss of concentration caught up to the sinister shinigami as both Nemu and Ichigo managed to break free of their enemy's imposing bind. Feeling the recoil of the strain, the three exhausted beings tried their best to catch their breath (the unknown foe was resting out of sight behind a pillar). Sensing their chance, the three hollows shot out of the dirt and gravel, intending to land on their prey. Quickly, Ichigo and Nemu rolled away as the trio returned to the Earth.

Using his sword to prop himself on his feet, Ichigo ducked under an incoming swing from one of the enemies' pincers while leaping away from the second foe's strike onto an overhanging pile of steel rods. Seeing the enemies below, Ichigo sliced the cables of the holding the platform and shunpoed away just as the heavy metal objects began to fall. One of the scorpion-like beings dodged the debris, while half its partner's body was crushed and destroyed. The lead hollow chased Ichigo to the top of the unfinished building, where there was more freedom of movement. The two combatants glared wearily, waiting for the other foe to move. The hollow's pincers anxiously clamped while Ichigo took the time to recover as much spiritual pressure as he can.

On the ground below, Nemu was already facing the third scorpion creature. With her hand-to-hand techniques, she was able to dodge and block the enemy's swings and attempted grabs. It wasn't long before Nemu's back met with the side of a soil compactor. Seeing it's chance, the white-clad opponent drove its pincer toward Nemu, Reacting quickly, Nemu used shunpo to avoid the strike, allowing the enemy's claw to pierce into the construction vehicle's flank. Nemu reappeared on top of the compactor and was ready to counter attack. However, the hollow pointed its stinger and sprayed its venom. Nemu avoided the poisonous concoction with a shunpo, having it eat away at the roof of the compartment instead. The young woman then reappeared on the second floor of the building and saw the hollow's free pincer aimed at her as red energy formed between the gaping claws. _"A cero!"_ Nemu realized. Acting fast, Nemu held out her left hand, her palm facing the enemy, while her right armed was used to stabilize the limb. "Hado #31! Shakkaho!"

Both fighters unleashed their energy burst toward one another, which collided midway. The opposing spiritual powers began to react and a few moments, exploded with a concussive force akin to a small bomb. Smoke and dirt was kicked into the air, clouding the fighter's sights and pushing the two fighters back. For the hollow, it was a lucky break as the shock of the burst was enough for it to wedge out of the vehicle. As for Nemu, the sudden shockwave blew the lieutenant off her perch, though she managed to recover in mid-air and land on her feet.

Now she was surrounded on all sides by a thick cloud of earth. Staying alert, the young woman tried her best to pinpoint the hollow's spiritual pressure. Unfortunately, the enemy was suppressing its power, making her tactic useless. Suddenly, she heard a small footstep from behind her. The lieutenant whipped around and saw some poison liquid flying toward her. The young woman managed to move most of her body from the path of the attack, but her left upper thigh was hit from the toxin. She slid to a stop and glanced at her injury, which became a burn. _"Though the poison didn't make a direct hit, my combat performance has been hampered somewhat due to the injury,"_ she assessed.

"Hahaha! What's the matter, shinigami? You're leg acting up?" taunted the hollow. "Here, let me take a look at that!" Before Nemu could respond, the hollow's prehensile tail wrapped around the wounded limb of its target. Nemu bit her lip in pain as the creature dragged her deeper in the dust cloud. Once she was reeled in like a fish on a line, the hollow hung her bruised body upside down in front of its face. The mandibles in front of its jaws clacked together like scissors. "Not bad, shinigami," the creature said. "How about I have a little fun with you before I devour your accursed soul."

"I would have to decline. I do not sully myself with wasteful beings, such as yourself," Nemu responded, thinking of what her father would say to an enemy.

The foe gave a low growl, its eyes zeroing in on the lieutenant's face. "Then I will enjoy tearing you to shreds. Starting with that mouth of yours!" The hollow's jaw launched forward, its mandibles spread apart to accommodate its maw.

Before the bite could connect, Nemu grabbed the demon's head by its mandibles, holding it back as its jaws continued to snap at the young woman. Using her strength, she push her foe's head away and kicked the side of its head. The scorpion-type foe staggered away into the cloud, its grip relaxed enough to drop Nemu to the ground.

On the roof of the building, both the hollow and Ichigo were engaged in heated battle, unaffected by the violent shockwave that rattled below. The two parried strong blows, each strike sending sparks flying in the air. Wanting to get the upper hand, Ichigo jumped and slammed Zangetsu's blade at the hollow. The hollow blocked the hit and was now fighting against the teen's momentum pushing down on the creature. Using its strength, the skull-faced beast shoved Ichigo into the air and began to charge a cero in an open pincer directed at the substitute shingiami. The orange-haired combatant managed to right himself just as the spherical energy blast was unleashed. "Not gonna happen!" he replied as he blocked the cero with his shiki.

As the teen held the cero at bay, the adjucha could only look on in shock from the show. _"This is impossible!"_ it thought. _"How the hell is this shinigami punk blocking my cero!"_

After gaining the upper hand over the attack, Ichigo redirected the concentrated mass of energy behind him with a swing of his blade, allow the cero to explode at a safe distance. He then turned back to his opponent, who still had a surprised look in its eye. "Get ready," Ichigo said as he pointed the tip of Zangetsu at the foe.

The hollow roared defiantly as it jumped toward its prey. Once it was in range, the corrupt spirit swiped at the teen, but missed as he shunpoed behind and slashed its back. The hollow staggered, but quickly recovered and used its tail to try and grab at Ichigo. However, its attack proved to be detrimental as the young man sidestepped the lash, grabbed the tail and sliced it off with a strong swing. The hollow screeched in pain as its tail fell to the ground.

Wanting to retaliate for its amputation, the beast turned around to attack, but froze as it saw Ichigo's spiritual pressure begin to rise. Bright blue energy enveloped the teen's body as he held his sword over his head. "I won't let you finish, shinigami!" the scorpion-like creature hissed as it flew at Ichigo, both pincers and jaws gaping wide, saliva dripping from its fangs.

"It's too late," Ichigo responded darkly. "Getsuga Tensho!" With a swing of his giant cleaver, Ichigo sent a wave of energy at the offender. The hollow tried its best to keep the power at bay, shielding its face and relying on its thick exoskeleton to protect it. However, its body proved no match as the hollow's form dissolved due to the signature attack. With his opponent defeated, Ichigo lowered himself to the roof and began to catch his breath.

However, he was unaware that there was another enemy standing behind him. It was the unknown shinigami, whose power he had felt before. The young man stalked him carefully, his spiritual pressure lowered to a point where it felt like he had none. With each silent step, he could feel and taste the spiritual pressure of his unaware prey. _"Such amazing spiritual energy…"_ he thought as he closed in, slowly drawing out his zanpakuto and holding it beside him.

"_That's right. Just a little closer,"_ the inner voice cheered. _"Skewer this little brat through like a pig on spit! I can't wait to taste that energy!"_

As he caught his breath, Ichigo was starting to feel a sense of impending doom. A shiver traveled along his back, starting off feeling like a light cool wind. Then it quickly became more intense, as if he was in range of the freezing temperatures released from Toshiro Hitsugaya's bankai. With tension and instinct taking over him, the strawberry-haired male tightly clutched his sword hilt and whipped around in a swing. However, instead of catching anything in his swinging arc, he saw nobody there. He looked around for any sign of a threat, but sensed nothing. _"Am I just imagining things?"_ he thought, questioning his intuition. He was then brought back to reality by the sound of a loud cackle from the smokescreen below. He could hear the sounds of battle as well as Nemu's spiritual energy began to drop. "Nemu!" he called out in concern as he shunpoed off the edge and back to the ground.

Reappearing with a shunpo of his own, the enemy shinigami appeared where Ichigo had left. He watched as his prey escaped his clutches and ran headlong into the cover. _"There will be other chances,"_ he figured. _"Now. Time to find some breakfast."_ Wanting to find an easier meal and leaving his associate to face destiny, the shinigami shunpoed from the site.

The battle between Nemu and the hollow was coming to a head. Even though the demon had the advantage thanks to the thick cover, the purple-haired shinigami was able to counter most of her attacks. Her impressive durability was also another factor that kept her in the fight. However, due to the wound still affecting her limb, the young woman knew that she could only keep up the defense for a short time. She stood in a defensive position, her damaged left leg held out.

As she limped through the cloud, Nemu could see the shadows of her opponent moving quickly from her view. Before long, the enemy's tail lash at the woman in front of her. Reacting fast, Nemu bent backward, the appendage brushing past her and back into the cover. The tail shot out again, but barely missed piercing her midsection. Nemu believed that from where the tail was launched, she could follow it to the rest of the body. Instead, the young woman fell for the trap as the stinger end wrapped around her wrist and tossed her into one of the building's pillars. The ponytail-haired lieutenant's body slumped to the ground and was pinned against the metal support beam by the hollow's pincer. "It's over, shinigami!" the hollow replied victoriously.

As it was about to finish her off, the arm that held Nemu was sliced off. Blood flew every where as the ripped limb fell to the dirt ground. The hollow roared in pain, cradling its amputated limb before turning its attention back to Nemu.

Staring back at the hollow with a killing glare was Ichigo Kurosaki. He knelt as Nemu's weakened form rested in his arm. "Sorry it took me so long," Ichigo said to the lieutenant. "If I knew this would happen, I would have finished that guy off sooner."

Nemu shook her head. "There is nothing for you to apologize for, Master Kurosaki," she said. "The fact that you have arrived when you did is quite fortuitous. I should be the one to apologize for such a shoddy performance."

Ichigo turned back to the remaining hollow, who snarled at the shinigami and awaited for its next move. Gently, Ichigo laid Nemu's head on the ground and positioned himself between her and the foe. "You did the best you could. That's all anyone can ask for." Nemu was shocked to hear such words from the young man. She had never heard such kind, heart-felt words directed to her. If it was her father, the captain would have demeaned her with insults and threats as well as increase the number of injuries. "Just hang in there. I'll finish this bastard off."

"You'll finish me off?" the hollow scoffed. "Don't get cocky just because you took out those fools. I'm the leader of this pack, and will soon have you on the tip of my stinger!"

Ichigo didn't respond, focusing only on avenging his partner's loss. After all the assistance Nemu gave him, it was the least he could do. Instead, he shunpoed in front of the enemy to quickly close the distance and struck the hollow. The demon blocked the hit with its remaining pincer and tried to strike with its tail. However, Ichigo leaped over the attack and struck downward. Once more the hollow caught Ichigo's zanpakuto within its claws and flung him back. Ichigo quickly recovered in the air and landed on his feet before charging from behind and delivering a strong slash. The hollow staggered from the blow before landing on its hand and knees. "It's not over yet!" the hollow replied as it returned to its feet. The hollow glanced at Ichigo, who was ready to finish it off. However, it had different plans in mind as it quickly rushed toward Nemu. "If I'm going down, I'm taking at least one of you fools to hell with me!" the enemy shouted.

"Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of the spinning wheel. With light, divide into six! Bakudo #61! Rikujokoro!" Nemu recited. Before the hollow could finish the lieutenant off, six beams of light, slammed into the scorpion demon's midsection. The enemy was now paralyzed in its position, unable to attack or defend itself.

"Time to end this!" Seeing the opportunity, Ichigo leaped toward the enemy and slashed the foe in half. The hollow screamed in defeat as its body broke in two before its spirit became purified. "It's finally over," Ichigo said. He then turned to Nemu, whose seemed to be slowly recovering from her wounds. "Are you alright?"

"I'll recover," Nemu replied. "Due to the modifications received from Master Mayuri, I can sustain and survive massive amounts of punishment. Injuries like these are nothing to me."

"Oh. That's a relief," Ichigo replied. "But do you need any help?"

Nemu thought over the strawberry-haired teen's offer. However, her thoughts were interrupted as she winced in pain from the would on her thigh. She glanced at the wound and saw it as an impediment that would take the longest to heal. "Perhaps I am in need of your services," she said.

"Alright. What do you need?"

A small shade of red appeared on her cheeks as she knew how odd the request may sound. "I need you to place your hand over my thigh."

"Wh-What!" Ichigo responded, taken aback by the strange favor. Nemu averted her glance as she innocently pulled up the bottom of her robe to show the rest of her wound. "Oh," was the teen's only response as he understood the lieutenant's situation.

"Healing kido would help hasten the healing process. However, I have exhausted my spirit energy at the moment. I am hoping that your spiritual energy will be enough to compliment my lost power."

"Are you sure?" Ichigo asked. "I'm not really that good with controlling my spiritual energy."

"There is nothing to be worried about," Nemu responded assuredly. "As they say, 'Just follow my lead. I'll guide you nice and slow.'"

Though Ichigo wanted to object to the statement and how strange inappropriate and suggestive it sounded in such a circumstance, he decided to go with the lieutenant's suggestion. _"Everyone keeps nagging about how I need to learn to control my power sooner or later. Might as well be sooner."_ The teen gulped as he moved his hand to Nemu's thigh. The closer he came, the more uneasy he got. For him, it was the first time he had ever touch a woman anywhere below the belt (something he felt was against his principals).

Nemu, too, was rather nervous of the impending contact. The lieutenant's face was still turned away as she tried her best to keep her fluster to a minimum as her heart rapidly beat. Besides Mayuri during his rages, Ichigo would be the first male to ever lay a hand on her. While such thoughts and actions rarely ever crossed her mind, there was a part of her that appreciated the opportunity which presented itself.

As soon as she felt the heat on Ichigo's hand against her thigh, her cheeks became a bold cherry red. For her, it was as if she were zapped by lightning. Though it stung due to the reaction of her acid burn, the sensation was drowned out by the pleasure and excitement of how close Ichigo was. Unable to bottle her emotions, the young woman mewled in sensual euphoria. Ichigo quickly withdrew his hand with concern and fear. "I-I'm sorry!" he replied skittishly, his face becoming as red as a tomato. "A-Are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine," Nemu replied, her cheeks becoming a bold rose color. The young lieutenant mentally cursed her self, wondering why she reacted so provocatively. The young man barely touched her, yet she couldn't help but to respond in such a way. "Please, continue."

"Fine... Just… don't do that again…" Ichigo replied. Taking a deep breath, the young man once more place his hand over the burn spot. He glanced at Nemu, who gave a light nod. Gently, the young male placed his hand near her thigh, letting it hover just over her flesh. "Okay. So now what?" Ichigo asked.

Nemu said nothing and instead placed a hand on top of Ichigo's. The young substitute was surprised by the act (nor the silky smooth skin that caressed his hand was actually a person's flesh). As her hand began to glow a pale green color, he could feel the spiritual energy gathering into his hand and into the burn below. "Now, I need you to channel some of your reiatsu into the burn. I will do the rest."

Ichigo nodded and did as the purple-haired woman asked. Concentrating and maintaining his power level, the teen allowed his energy to travel through his arm and seep into the burn. The young woman helped moderate the flow, using her comrades added energy to refill her own. In turn, this energy helped repair the tissue and skin from the enemy's toxins. In less than a few minutes, Nemu's acid burn wore off and her energy was restored. Ichigo pushed himself off the ground and held out a hand to help Nemu off the ground. "How's your leg feeling now?" he asked.

"I believe it has healed properly," the girl said as Ichigo helped her to her feet. She felt along her thigh and flexed her limb, feeling no pain or discomfort of any kind. "Yes, it appears to be normal." Feeling grateful for Ichigo's assistance, Nemu gave a courteous bow. "I am very appreciative for your help, Master Kurosaki," she thanked.

"It was nothing," Ichigo responded. "It was the least I could do after you gave me a hand back at the school."

"I see. In that case, I am glad of our mutual partnership," Nemu replied.

Ichigo gave a nod with a small smile. However, he quickly changed expression as he thought over their battle. _"So those were adjuchas. Then what were they doing here?"_ he contemplated. _"Does it have to do with that insane spiritual pressure? There's no way those hollows could have acted alone."_

"You seem troubled, Master Kurosaki," Nemu said observantly.

"It's just… that spiritual pressure that we were trapped in when we came here," the substitute shinigami admitted. Nemu quickly became silent as she put on her stoic expression. On the back of her mind, she was also trying to understand the phenomenon. "It's possible that whatever was behind it was also pulling those hollows strings."

"I am in agreement with your theory. As I stated before, adjuchas mostly dwell within the sands of Hueco Mundo. Unless they are clones or similar types, like the examples we defeated, hollows of that caliber normally live solitary, predatory lives. Though it isn't unheard of to find associative groups led by a powerful alpha leader."

"So do you think we're dealing with Aizen?"

"No," Nemu replied in a sure tone. "If it were ex-Captain Aizen, I highly doubt he would allow us a chance to recover. Not only that, but the spiritual pressure we felt. While it was unusually erratic and hard to determine, I am sure that it felt partially hollow-like."

After hearing the news, Ichigo paled. He knew that there was something off about the enemy's power aside from its strength. He didn't know what to call it. Sinister, disturbed, and conflicted were only a few of the words that came to mind when he thought of the murderous intent behind the surge. _"At least it's gone for now,"_ he thought with a sigh of relief. "I think it's about time I get back to the school," the teen said to Nemu. "If I hurry, I'm sure I can make it back before lunch ends. See you later, Nemu."

Nemu responded with a light wave as she watched the substitute shinigami leave the scene. Once Ichigo had left her sight, the girl lowered her hand and inspected the palm. She could still feel the young man's residual reishi in her palm. "Master Kurosaki," she said with a light tone. _"I wonder… have I made any progress with my personal mission…"

* * *

_

By the time Ichigo returned to school grounds, he found his body in the shade just where he had left it. He inspected his vessel thoroughly and found no damage or inconsistencies. He retreated back into his body and promptly joined his comrades on the roof for the last few minutes of lunch. By the time school ended, Ichigo was the last person to leave the class. As he gathered his materials, the strawberry-haired male was approached by Orihime. "It's good to see you came back," she replied jovially. "I didn't think you would return after you left Ms. Ochi's class."

"Yeah, I kinda thought so too," Ichigo said nonchalantly. "Lucky for me, I returned about ten minutes before lunch had ended."

"So what was going on out there? I sensed an enormous amount of spiritual pressure from a few blocks away. Are you alright?"

"There were some high-level hollows," Ichigo replied. "But they weren't anything we couldn't handle."

"We?" Orihime asked in a perplexed tone.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I had some help from Nemu during the battle. She's the lieutenant of Squad 12. You've met her, right?"

Orihime did know of someone who may have fit the description back when everyone was trying to stop Rukia's execution. However, her encounter with the young woman was brief since Uryu had asked a shinigami to take her away before he battled the squad captain and lieutenant by himself. Then she remembered last Friday when Ichigo was on duty and how the same person was tailing him on his way to the park. "Yeah… I'm sure I've seen her," she said, trying to hide her jealousy and discomfort behind a faux smile. "I'm glad that she was able to help you." Ichigo nodded in agreement, also glad that there was someone to watch his back. "Ichigo," Orihime called.

"Yeah?"

"Did something happen between you and Tatsuki?" Orihime asked. "She's been pretty quiet ever since this morning." Ichigo averted his gaze from the young woman. He had hoped to forget about the situation with the latest battle. Though apparently, that was a fleeting reprieve. Seeing his reaction, Orihime quickly waved her hands apologetically. "Not that it's any of my business!" she quickly added. "I'm sorry if I'm butting in."

"No, it's alright," Ichigo replied. "It's just… things are a bit complicated. I'll be sure to talk to her about it later on."

"Oh. Alright," Orihime replied. The blonde knew there was something more to it than that. However, the last thing she wanted to do was pry into matters she felt were none of her business. "Well, I better get going," she said with a wide smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. You too," Ichigo responded as he watched his friend leave the room. After packing up the last of his belongings, the young male slung his backpack over his shoulder and began to leave the classroom. Before he left the room, the substitute shinigami turned to the window, once more grateful that Nemu helped him. Thinking over his interactions with the youthful lieutenant, he was starting to see her, not as an ally on the job, but as a fast friend. _"Wherever she is, I hope she's alright,"_ the substitute thought before leaving the room.

* * *

Author's Note 3: If you're having a hard time picturing the hollows in this chapter, look up the Marvel 2099 incarnation of Scorpion 2099. Except with both arms carrying giant pincers, the stinger a large bulb with a needle, and a more narrower head.


End file.
